Markers of inflammation in patients with generalized anxiety disorder

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze the systemic immune response index, systemic immune inflammation index, neutrophil/HDL, lymphocyte/HDL, platelet/HDL, and monocyte/HDL ratio, used as inflammatory markers in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Materials and Methods: A total of 864 participants, including 432 healthy controls and 432 patients diagnosed with GAD, were included in this study. High-density lipoprotein (HDL-c) levels, neutrophil, monocyte, lymphocyte, and platelet counts; systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI), systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII), neutrophil/high-density lipoprotein ratio (NHR), lymphocyte/high-density lipoprotein ratio (LHR), monocyte/high-density lipoprotein ratio (MHR), and platelet/high-density lipoprotein ratio (PHR) were calculated. Results: The median age of the case group was 35.50 (interquartile range: 28.00-44.00), while the median age of the control group was 35.00 (interquartile range: 28.00-44.00). In the GAD group, neutrophils, monocytes, SII, SIRI, NHR, LHR, MHR, and PHR were significantly higher, while platelets and HDL were significantly lower. Conclusions: This study highlights that elevated systemic inflammation markers, such as SII and SIRI, along with altered HDL ratios, may be associated with GAD. The findings support the hypothesis that inflammation plays a role in the etiopathogenesis of GAD, potentially contributing to both diagnosis and management.