This study aimed to analyze associations among clinical and laboratory variables and markers of monocyte activation (CD163 and sCD14), and inflammation (interleukin [IL]-6) among AUD patients.
Cell culture supernatants were collected, and inflammatory mediators were measured, including interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. IFN-γ and IL-6 were significantly higher in unstimulated AM cell culture supernatants from subjects with AUDs.
At baseline, the patients with MDD + AUD showed higher levels of inflammatory biomarkers IL-6 (p < 0.001), hs-CRP (p < 0.01), YKL-40 (p < 0.05), and biomarkers of alcohol consumption, than the corresponding group of non-AUD patients.
Accumulating evidence from preclinical and clinical studies has implicated a role for the cytokine IL-6 in a variety of CNS diseases including anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviors, as well as alcohol use disorder.