Exploring the Link Between Strep Infections, Insulin Resistance, and Depression

Teri Cochrane on

Strep infections are known to trigger autoimmune disorders, affecting millions worldwide. Researchers from Stanford University found an association between post-strep autoantibodies and an enzyme involved in insulin degradation and insulin resistance. The autoantibodies attack the enzyme and decrease insulin degradation and correlate with higher insulin levels and insulin resistance.

The researchers showed that these post-strep autoantibodies are also associated with metabolic syndrome, characterized by a multitude of metabolic risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes (T2D) including but not limited to hypertension, insulin resistance, hormonal imbalance, prothrombotic and proinflammatory state.

Metabolic syndrome, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the developed world, often coexists with T2D and depression. In fact, depression increases the risk of T2D by 60% and conversely, researchers have also shown T2D is associated with an increase in the risk of major depressive disorder.

Research out of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California – San Francisco indicates that although major depressive disorder (MDD) is typically a mental illness, pathology associated with MDD is evident in cells and organs throughout the body. MDD is often associated with developing serious medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, dementia, osteoporosis, diabetes, insulin resistance, and the metabolic syndrome. In this research article, Wolkowitz et al (2011) discuss mediators (e.g., hormones, steroids, insulin levels) that are dysregulated in MDD and may contribute to the depressed state itself and the associated medical conditions.

The authors suggest that investigating these new mediators could reveal new treatments for depression and its related conditions, potentially leading to the reclassification of MDD as a multi-system disorder, rather than one confined to just the brain. These data are in line with a growing body of evidence linking infections, immunity, depression, and metabolism.

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