The Clinical Effect of Electroconvulsive Therapy and Its Relationship with Serum Levels of MMP-9 and CXCL12 in Patients with Mania

INTRODUCTION: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a non-pharmacological method for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. The precise biochemical mechanism of the effects of ECT is not clear, and since the two factors including matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and stromal cell-derived factor-1 alpha (CXCL12) play an important role in improving nerve damage, the effects of ECT and its relation with serum levels of MMP-9 and CXCL12 in patients with mania were investigated in this study. METHODS: In this before and after intervention study, the patients with mania, referring to the Qods Hospital in Sanandaj, were selected by the census method during the years 2015–2018. Young’s test was performed 24 hrs before and after the first, third, and sixth sessions of ECT. For biochemical analysis, 3 mL of peripheral blood were taken prior to any anesthesia and 6 hrs after the first, third, and sixth sessions. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient by using the SPSS16 software. RESULTS: The results showed a significant decrease in Young’s test scores during the first to the sixth session of ECT (P≤0.05). Although the levels of CXCL12 were slightly increased after the sixth course of ECT, they were not significant. Moreover, there were no significant relationship between the Young’s test score and the serum levels of both MMP-9 and CXCL12 (P≥0.05). CONCLUSION: ECT improved patients clinically, but this effect was independent of serum levels of MMP-9 and CXCL12, and possibly other biochemical factors are involved in this pathway.