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Bipolar disorder biomarkers differ in men, women

Recent findings indicated significant differences in biomarkers of bipolar disorder between men and women.

“While [bipolar disorder] is equally prevalent in men and women, the clinical presentation and comorbidities can differ. Women with [bipolar disorder] have higher rates than men of [bipolar II disorder], comorbid anxiety disorders, [PTSD] and bulimia. The risk for migraine and the impact of comorbid migraine on poor mood outcome is greater in women with [bipolar disorder]. Moreover, poor sleep quality affects women with [bipolar disorder] more than men with [bipolar disorder] by increasing frequency and severity of mood episodes,” Caitlin E. Millett, a graduate student at Penn State College of Medicine, and colleagues wrote. “This suggests that gender is an important moderator of symptomatology in [bipolar disorder] and may point to differing underlying pathophysiology in men and women with [bipolar disorder].”

To assess associations between gender, immune biomarkers and mood severity in bipolar disorder, researchers analyzed blood samples from 27 individuals with bipolar I and II disorder and 31 healthy controls after they fasted for at least 6 hours.

At baseline, participants with bipolar disorder had significantly lower zinc concentrations (P < .05).

Gender and zinc were significantly associated with depression severity, while gender and neopterin were significantly associated with mania severity.

Mania severity was associated with neopterin in men.

Depression severity was positively associated with zinc in women.

“What we are aiming for ultimately as a field and as a research group is to have a blood marker that we can use in the clinic that will help us predict when someone is developing a bipolar episode, and conversely when a treatment is working,” study researcher Erika F. H. Saunders, MD, of Penn State College of Medicine, said in a press release. “The work that we’re doing in conjunction with the work of others across the country is understanding each individual factor that can then be put together in a larger way.” – by Amanda Oldt

Disclosure: Please see the study for a full list of relevant financial disclosures.