Circulating inflammatory markers, cell-free mitochondrial DNA, cortisol, endocannabinoids, and N -acylethanolamines in female depressed outpatients.

In this study, female MDD outpatients with mild to moderate disorder severity did not substantially differ from non-depressed controls in the resting levels of multiple immunoregulatory markers in peripheral blood. Instead of investigating resting levels, future research on the role of inflammatory activity in MDD should focus on investigating the reactivity of pathways modulating the immune system upon exposure to physical and psychosocial stressors.