This article reviews the research progress on autoimmune diseases with comorbid depression, analyzing the impact of non-biological factors and molecular biology factors on depression. The study found that age, social relationships, emotional changes, physical symptoms, and education level are correlated with depression in patients with autoimmune diseases. Additionally, biological evidence of comorbid depression in autoimmune disease patients is discussed.
The article surveys clinical observations that a large proportion of patients with autoimmune diseases also suffer from depressive symptoms. Reported rates include 32.4% of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and 53% of rheumatoid arthritis patients showing depression.
It also discusses biological evidence, highlighting hormonal influences, cytokine changes (e.g., elevated IL‑6) and immune‑cell alterations (reduced CD4/CD8 counts) that may underlie the comorbidity between autoimmunity and mood disorders. This manual is written in Chinese.
32.4% of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients were reported to have depression.
53% of rheumatoid arthritis patients were found to have depressive manifestations.
IL‑6 levels are elevated and correlate positively with the severity of depression.