Description: An auto-antibody called "anti-ribosomal P" plays a role in central nervous dysfunction and depression in people with lupus, an autoimmune disease that also causes symptoms such as joint pain, skin rashes and extreme fatigue.

Scientists at Tel Aviv University in Israel extracted anti-ribosomal P antibodies from the blood of a lupus patient and injected them into healthy mice.

The scientists noted the onset of depression-like behavior changes in the mice as the rodents were put through a swimming test.

The study also found that long-term treatment with fluoxetine (Prozac) resulted in a significant reduction in depression-like behavior in the mice.

The findings, which appear in the March issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, shed light on brain pathways of depression in general and on central nervous system dysfunction in lupus in particular, the researchers said.

Further investigation needs to be conducted in large-scale clinical trials.