Pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α are elevated in response to psychosocial stress; however, less is known about other inflammatory markers. We exp Show more
Pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α are elevated in response to psychosocial stress; however, less is known about other inflammatory markers. We explored response to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) of 16 cytokines and growth factors in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD, n = 12) vs. healthy volunteers (HV, n = 16). Outcomes were baseline and post-stress levels estimated by area under the curve (AUC Baseline concentrations were higher in MDD for platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AB/BB (p = 0.037, d = 0.70), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF, p = 0.033, d = 0.52), and IL-8 (p = 0.046, d = 0.74). After TSST, AUC Effect sizes were robust in this exploratory study, although interpretation of the results must be cautious, given small sample size and multiple comparisons. Differential study of stress-induced biomarkers may have important ramifications for MDD treatment. Show less