Scientists are finding more evidence of a connection between inflammatory diseases and depression.

In research with mice, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign scientists identified how a molecular pathway in the brain may explain why some people with inflammatory diseases develop depression. It's estimated that 12 percent to 30 percent of people with inflammatory disease such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease develop depressive disorders.

In many cases, these depressive disorders are attributed to psychological problems caused by disability and suffering experienced by people with inflammatory diseases.

"The goal of our research is to understand the mechanisms that are responsible for causing depression in patients with inflammatory diseases," Robert Dantzer, a professor of animal sciences, said in a prepared statement.

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August 5, 2004

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