Japanese scientists discover how to identify depression through blood test

A team of scientists from the Hiroshima University's Department of Biomedical Sciences found a mechanism to obtain objective data about depression based on blood analyses, the university said on Wednesday on its website. Until recently doctors had to assess the patient's condition based only on subjective feelings. A mechanism to determine the level of depression and the detection of a disease, as in the case of diabetes or high blood pressure, did not exist. A group of scientists at the University of Hiroshima, led by Professor Shigeto Yamawaki, was able to identify the gene which is responsible for creating the protein BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). Blood samples were collected from two groups of people, both healthy and people suffering from depression. Scientists discovered that depression-prone chemical reaction (methylation), which occurs in the gene, has well-defined features. The Japanese scientists noted that they are the first in the world to find the protein that can become a vivid marker of depression. Depression is considered to be one of Japan's most serious social problems. More than 30,000 people in the country commit suicide annually, including 7,000 because of depression.