Decreased Serum Levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 in Drug-Naive Patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Öz
Background: Although many causes such as psychological, social, genetic and biological factors are blamed in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), its etiopathogenesis is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to examine the serum levels of Nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), and tau proteins in adults diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and to explore the relationship between these biomarkers and anxiety severity.
Materials and Methods: The research involved 44 patients with GAD who had not previously received any medication, along with 44 healthy individuals matched by age and gender. Anxiety severity in the GAD group was assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Serum concentrations of Nrf2, HO-1, and tau were measured in a biochemistry laboratory using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method.
Results: In individuals diagnosed with GAD, serum levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 were significantly lower than those observed in the control group (p=0.023; p<0.001, respectively). However, no significant difference was detected between the patient and control groups regarding serum tau concentrations (p=0.98). According to Spearman correlation analysis, there were no significant correlation between total BAI scores and the levels of Nrf2, HO-1, or tau in the patient group.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that the antioxidant defense system is compromised in patients with GAD. Further research assessing Nrf2 and HO-1 is required to clarify their exact contribution to the pathophysiology of GAD.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Destekleyen Kurum
Etik Beyan
Kaynakça
- Lader M. Generalized anxiety disorder, in: Encyclopedia of Psychopharmacology. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, Berlin, Heidelberg. 2015;699-702.
- Reynolds CR, Kamphaus RW. DSM 5 diagnostic criteria generalized anxiety disorder. 2015.
- Asoğlu M, Kiliçaslan F, Beginoğlu Ö, Fedai Ü, Akil Ö, Çelik H, et al. Thiol/disulphide homeostasis as a new oxidative stress marker in untreated patients with generalized anxiety disorder. Anadolu Psikiyatri Derg. 2018;19:143-9.
- Jiménez-Fernández S, Gurpegui M, Garrote-Rojas D, Gutiérrez-Rojas L, Carretero M.D, Correll C.U, et al. Oxidative stress parameters and antioxidants in adults with unipolar or bipolar depression versus healthy controls: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Affect Disord. 2022;314:211-21.
- Kilicaslan F, Ayaydin H, Celik H, Kutuk MO, Kandemir H, Koyuncu I, et al. Antineuronal antibodies and 8-OHdG an indicator of cerebellar dysfunction in autism spectrum disorder: a case-control study. 2019;29(4):840-6
- Eid A, Khoja S, AlGhamdi S, Alsufiani H, Alzeben F, Alhejaili N, et al. Vitamin D supplementation ameliorates severity of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Metab Brain Dis. 2019;34:1781-6.
- Maron E, Nutt D. Biological markers of generalized anxiety disorder. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2017;19:147-58.
- Heurtaux T, Bouvier DS, Benani A, Helgueta Romero S, Frauenknecht KBM, Mittelbronn M, et al. Normal and pathological NRF2 signalling in the central nervous system. Antioxidants. 2022;11:1426.
Ayrıntılar
Birincil Dil
İngilizce
Konular
Psikiyatri
Bölüm
Araştırma Makalesi
Yazarlar
Öznur Akıl
*
0000-0002-6103-0823
Türkiye
Mehmet Asoğlu
0000-0001-7515-7844
Türkiye
Adnan Kirmit
0000-0003-2799-8416
Türkiye
Erken Görünüm Tarihi
10 Eylül 2026
Yayımlanma Tarihi
21 Eylül 2026
Gönderilme Tarihi
5 Kasım 2025
Kabul Tarihi
2 Haziran 2026
Yayımlandığı Sayı
Yıl 2026 Cilt: 23 Sayı: 3