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Table 3
Overview of studies comparing biological dysregulations across melancholic and atypical depression
Reference	Nr of melancholic depression	Nr of atypical depression	Nr of controls	Summary of findings
Metabolic dysregulation
Lamers et al. 2010 [115]	379	201	-	AD more MetS than MD
Seppala et al. 2012 [53]	293	139¹	2,388	AD more MetS than C, no association with MD
Immuno-inflammatory dysregulation
Anisman et al. 1999 [123]	17	31	27	No difference in IL-1b + IL-2
Kaestner et al. 2005 [124]	21	16¹	37	AD higher IL-1b + IL-1RA than C + MD
Huang et al. 2007 [125]	25	17¹	40	MD higher IL-1b than AD no difference in IL-10 and TNF-α
Yoon et al. 2012 [126]	70	35	-	AD higher IL-2 and lower IL-4 than MD no differences in IL-6 + TNF-α
Lamers et al. 2012 [127]	111	122	543	AD higher IL-6 + CRP + TNF-α than MD + C
Karlovic et al. 2012 [128]	32	23	18	MD + AD higher IL-6 + CRP than C no difference in TNF-α
HPA-axis dysregulation
Nelson et al. 1997 [110]	662	617¹	-	MD more DST non-suppression than AD
Anisman et al. 1999 [123]	17	31	27	AD lower cortisol than C
Wong et al. 2000 [129]	10	-	14	MD higher cortisol than C
Kaestner et al. 2005 [124]	21	16¹	37	MD higher cortisol than AD + C
Lamers et al. 2012 [127]	66	82	393	MD higher cortisol than AD + C
Karlovic et al. 2012 [128]	32	23	18	MD higher cortisol than AD + C

¹Atypical depression was assessed as the absence of melancholic depression (non-melancholic depression).

AD, Atypical depression; C, Healthy controls; CRP, C-reactive protein; DST, Dexamethasone suppression test; IL, Interleukin; MD, Melancholic depression; MetS, Metabolic syndrome; TNF, Tumor necrosis factor.

Penninx et al.

Penninx et al. BMC Medicine 2013 11:129 doi:10.1186/1741-7015-11-129

Table 3