Interleukin patterns and anxiety mechanisms in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): Understanding the pathophysiology and biomarker insights

Abstract

In this thesis, interleukin patterns and their involvement in the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) biological processes are examined. The paper evaluates the presence of inflammatory cytokines in the pathophysiology of anxiety and whether they can be used as a biomarker. The presence of immune imbalance and the severity of anxiety were investigated by comparing the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1b, IL-17, and IL-10). The results indicate that patients with GAD have high pro-inflammatory cytokines and low anti-inflammatory controls, which means that there is an inflammatory dominance pattern. The IL-6/IL-10 ratio proved to be an important predictor of immune imbalance associated with the severity of symptoms. These findings back a neuroimmune theory of inflammatory dysregulation interacting with biological systems of stress. The research adds to the growing body of research in psychoneuroimmunology and demonstrates the importance of inflammatory biomarkers in the study and understanding of anxiety as well as in enhancing precision-based mental health studies.