# Association of electrolytes and complete blood count in adolescent depression with and without psychotic symptoms

## TL;DR

This study found that blood calcium, white blood cells, and neutrophils may be linked to depression with psychotic symptoms in adolescents, suggesting potential biomarkers for diagnosis.

## Contribution

The study identifies elevated calcium, white blood cells, and neutrophils as potential biomarkers for adolescent depression with psychotic symptoms.

## Key findings

- Elevated serum calcium, white blood cells, and neutrophils are significant factors in adolescent depression with psychotic symptoms.
- A predictive model using these biomarkers showed limited accuracy (AUC = 0.598), indicating a need for refinement.
- The findings suggest a possible inflammatory component in depression with psychotic symptoms.

## Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate physiological differences in electrolytes and complete blood counts in adolescent patients with depression with and without psychotic symptoms. By comparing baseline data in adolescent patients, it will provide more comprehensive information for individualised diagnosis and treatment of depression.

Clinical baseline data of adolescent patients were collected, including information on gender, age, smoking history, and alcohol consumption history. In terms of electrolytes and complete blood counts, the differences between the two groups of patients were compared, and a predictive model was constructed by stepwise logistic regression, and its diagnostic value was evaluated by ROC.

Ca, WBC and NE were relevant factors for the development of psychotic symptoms in adolescents (Ca: OR = 21.95; WBC: OR = 1.16; NE: OR = 1.18). The three indicators and the constructed predictive model 1 performed poorly in the ROC curve in adolescent patients, with an AUC of 0.598.

Blood calcium plays an important role in adolescent depression with psychotic symptoms. And leukocytes, neutrophils in depression with psychotic symptoms as an indicator of inflammation suggestive indicators for treatment and mechanism studies.

This study was a cross-sectional study. The study population was Chinese adolescents and did not include adolescents from other regions.

Not applicable.

Psychotic Depression Biomarkers: Elevated serum calcium (Ca), white blood cell (WBC), and neutrophil (NE) levels were identified as significant relevant factors for psychotic depression (PD) in adolescents, providing potential biomarkers for early diagnosis.

Predictive Model Development: A logistic regression model incorporating Ca, WBC, and NE showed some predictive value for psychotic symptoms, though with limited accuracy, indicating room for refinement.

Recommendations for Future Research: Longitudinal studies, integration of multi-modal data (e.g., biomarkers, neuroimaging, and genomics), and exploration of immune cell subpopulations are suggested to deepen understanding of PD mechanisms.