METHODS: This study recruited 50 GAD patients diagnosed according to the DSM-5 criteria and 38 age-sex-matched healthy controls (HCs). A qualified psychiatrist evaluated all study subjects. The socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of the study population were determined using pre-structured questionnaires or interviews, and cytokine serum levels were estimated using commercially available ELISA kits.
RESULTS: We observed reduced serum IL-10 levels in GAD patients compared to HCs (33.69 ± 1.37 pg/ml vs. 44.12 ± 3.16 pg/ml). Also, we observed a significant negative correlation between altered IL-10 levels and GAD-7 scores (r=-0.315, p = 0.039). Moreover, IL-10 serum measurement exhibited good predictive value in receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis with an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.793 (p < 0.001) with 80.65% sensitivity and 62.79% specificity at a cutoff value of 33.93 pg/ml. Conversely, we noticed elevated serum IL-2 levels in GAD patients than in HCs (14.81 ± 2.88 pg/ml vs. 8.08 ± 1.1 pg/ml); however, it failed to maintain any significant association with GAD-7 scores, implying that IL-2 might not be involved in GAD pathogenesis. The lower AUC value (0.640; p > 0.05) exhibited by IL-2 serum measurement in ROC analysis further supported that IL-2 might not be associated with GAD.
CONCLUSIONS: This study provides new insights into the complex interplay between anti-inflammatory cytokines and GAD pathogenesis. Based on the present findings, we can assume that IL-10 but not IL-2 may be associated with the pathophysiology and development of GAD. However, further research with a larger population size and longitudinal design is required to confirm the potential diagnostic efficacy of IL-10.
方法:本研究招募了50名根据DSM-5标准诊断的GAD患者和38名年龄性别匹配的健康对照(HCs)。一名合格的精神病医生评估了所有研究对象。使用预先结构化的问卷或访谈确定研究人群的社会人口统计学和临床特征,和细胞因子血清水平使用市售ELISA试剂盒进行评估。
结果:我们观察到GAD患者与HCs相比血清IL-10水平降低(33.69±1.37pg/mlvs.44.12±3.16pg/ml)。此外,我们观察到IL-10水平改变与GAD-7评分之间存在显著负相关(r=-0.315,p=0.039).此外,IL-10血清测量在受试者操作特征(ROC)分析中表现出良好的预测值,曲线下面积(AUC)值为0.793(p<0.001),在33.93pg/ml的截止值处具有80.65%的灵敏度和62.79%的特异性。相反,我们注意到GAD患者的血清IL-2水平高于HCs(14.81±2.88pg/mlvs.8.08±1.1pg/ml);然而,它未能与GAD-7得分保持任何显著关联,这意味着IL-2可能不参与GAD的发病机制。ROC分析中IL-2血清测量显示的较低AUC值(0.640;p>0.05)进一步支持IL-2可能与GAD无关。
结论:这项研究为抗炎细胞因子与GAD发病机制之间的复杂相互作用提供了新的见解。根据目前的调查结果,我们可以假设IL-10而不是IL-2可能与GAD的病理生理和发展有关。然而,需要进一步研究更大的人群规模和纵向设计,以确认IL-10的潜在诊断功效.