Anxiety was measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory, serum pro-inflammatory cytokine levels were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and CRP determined by an immunoturbidimetric method before and after SSRIs treatment RESULTS: Baseline levels of anxiety and pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-1α, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, IFN-γ, and CRP were significantly reduced after treatment of SSRIs (p < 0.05 in all cases).
In the KORA cohort, participants (n=1522, age 32-72 years) were administered the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) instrument, whole blood DNA methylation was measured (Illumina 450K BeadChip), and circulating levels of hs-CRP and IL-18 were assessed in the association between anxiety and methylation.
Activated immune-inflammatory processes characterized by increased levels of CRP and pro-inflammatory cytokines are other shared pathways that underpin GAD and mood disorders.
Indeed, heightened concentrations of inflammatory signals, including cytokines and C-reactive protein, have been described in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder (PD), and phobias (agoraphobia, social phobia, etc.).