The role of the immune system in depersonalisation disorder

Abstract

Objectives

Depersonalisation-derealization disorder (DPD) is a dissociative disorder that impairs cognitive function and occupational performance. Emerging evidence indicate the levels of tumour necrosis factor-α and interleukin associated with the dissociative symptoms. In this study, we aimed to explore the role of the immune system in the pathology of DPD.

Methods

We screened the protein expression in serum samples of 30 DPD patients and 32 healthy controls. Using a mass spectrometry-based proteomic approach, we identified differential proteins that were verified in another group of 25 DPD patients and 30 healthy controls using immune assays. Finally, we performed a correlation analysis between the expression of differential proteins and clinical symptoms of patients with DPD.

Results

We identified several dysregulated proteins in patients with DPD compared to HCs, including decreased levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), complement C1q subcomponent subunit B, apolipoprotein A-IV, and increased levels of alpha-1-antichymotrypsin (SERPINA3). Moreover, the expression of CRP was positively correlated with visuospatial memory and the ability to inhibit cognitive interference of DPD. The expression of SERPINA3 was positively correlated with the ability to inhibit cognitive interference and negatively correlated with the perceptual alterations of DPD.

Conclusions

The dysregulation of the immune system may be the underlying biological mechanism in DPD. And the expressions of CRP and SERPINA3 can be the potential predictors for the cognitive performance of DPD.

Keywords:

• Depersonalization
• derealization
• serum
• immune system
• mass spectrometry-based proteomic

Acknowledgements

This study is supported by Capital’s Funds for Health Improvement and Research (Grant no. 2024-4-21211), Beijing Hospitals Authority Youth Program (Grant no. QML20191901), Beijing Hospitals Authority Clinical Medicine Development of Special Funding (Grant no. ZYLX202129), Beijing Hospitals Authority’s Ascent Plan (Grant no. DFL20191901). Training Plan for High Level Public Health Technical Talents Construction Project (Grant no.TTL-02-40), and Research Cultivation Program of Beijing Municipal Hospital (Grant no. PZ2023032).

Authors’ contributions

SSZ, DW, and HXJ conceived the study; SSZ and NS acquired the data and analysed the data; SSZ, STF, and NS wrote the first draft; GYC, YJ, GFZ, ML, XL, YZN, DW, and HXJ supervised the final version.

Consent for publication

The authors approve the final version.

Statement of interest

None to declare.

Data availability statement

Data are available on request.