Based on the Mann–Whitney U test after the FDR correction, baseline concentrations of HDL-cholesterol (p = 0.017), HDL2-cholesterol (p = 0.027), LDL2 (p = 0.003), LDL2-cholesterol (p = 0.001), LDL2-free cholesterol (p = 0.003), LDL3-free cholesterol (p = 0.037), LDL2-phospholipids (p = 0.001), LDL2-apolipoprotein B (p = 0.003) were found to be significantly lower in males with depression compared to the control males (Fig. 2b). Here, APOB is linked to depressive disorder.