ALB and major depressive disorder: Patients with SLE have been shown to display blood–brain barrier dysfunction, as inferred from results of serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis showing increased levels of immunoglobulins, proinflammatory cytokines, and albumin; furthermore, specific antibodies have been related to psychiatric symptoms in these patients, such as anti-ribosomal P protein antibodies, associated with lupus psychosis and severe depression [9, 16].