Interferon-α as an appropriate model of substance-induced depression.

摘要

TO THE EDITOR: The report by Bannink et al (Psychosomatics 2008; 49: 56-63) indicated that interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) treatment is not suitable as a study model for depression. The study pointed to this conclusion after finding a very low proportion of depression related to IFN-alpha: two cases in a sample of 43 oncologic patients. The paper of Bannink et al. is a well structured work that used not only symptom scales, but also an appropriate diagnostic instrument known as the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Since the authors adequately discussed such limitations of their study as the small sample size and the particularly low baseline depression scores for patients from a Dutch Oncology setting, we are forced to question if the conclusion is warranted based on clinical and epistemological issues.