Negative correlation between IL-1β, IL-12 and TNFγ, and cortisol levels in patients with panic disorder.

Abstract

Chronic exposure to stress is a major risk factor in anxiety disorders(ADs) and can be accompanied by an altered microbiome–gut–brain axis and a compro-mised immune system. In recent years, the study of inflammatory processes in AD hasgained special attention. Continued stress causes the reactivity of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, the alteration of the intestinal microbiota and the conse-quent release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, affecting the sensitivity to stress and thesimilar behavior of anxiety. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the interrelationships betweenmeasures of proinflammatory cytokines and cortisol in patients with panic disorder(PD). The main results of the correlation analysis revealed that the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor gammawere negatively correlated with cortisol scores (area under the curve with respect tothe ground). These results suggest that the inflammatory response is associated withthe reactivity of the HPA axis in patients with PD and may influence the maintenanceof anxiety behavior