UKRAINS'KYI VISNYK PSYKHONEVROLOHII

The Scientific and Practical Journal of Medicine
ISSN 2079-0325(p)
DOI 10.36927/2079-0325
Home » Archive of numbers » 2025 » Volume 33, issue 4 (125) » GENETIC BIOMARKERS OF STRESS-RELATED ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS: THE ROLE OF NEUROINFLAMMATION AND NEUROPLASTICITY

GENETIC BIOMARKERS OF STRESS-RELATED ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS: THE ROLE OF NEUROINFLAMMATION AND NEUROPLASTICITY

Authors

Type of Article

  • Scientific Article

In the Section

  • DIAGNOSTICS AND THERAPY OF MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS

Key words

Index UDK:
  • 616:159.944.4]-07-08

Abstract

Stress-related anxiety and depressive disorders (ADD) represent a major public health concern in Ukraine, especially amid growing exposure to traumatic stress associated with military conflict, social instability, and sustained psychological strain. The aim of this study was to identify key genetic biomarkers of stress-related ADD, specifically markers of neuroinflammation and neuroplasticity and to determine their association with the severity of psychopathological symptoms.

The investigation was carried out at an anti-aging medicine center (Kyiv, Ukraine), where 70 patients aged 18–60 years with clinically significant anxiety-depressive symptoms were examined. To verify the presence of ADD, we used by Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) and by Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Genotyping of single-nucleotide polymorphisms was performed using polymerase chain reaction. The analysis included key genes involved in neuroinflammation: C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-1α (IL-1α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Statistical processing included descriptive statistics, correlation, and linear regression analysis.

The results showed that stress-related ADD have a polygenic nature and are characterized by combined mechanisms of neuroinflammation and reduced neuroplasticity. Elevated activity of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, CRP) was identified in 71.4 % of patients, indicating the presence of an "inflammatory subtype" of ADD. The presence of the Met-allele of BDNF Val66Met in 53 % of patients was associated with reduced neuroplasticity.

Thus, genetic polymorphisms that determine mechanisms of neuroinflammation and neuroplasticity serve as key molecular biomarkers of stress-related ADD. They substantially contribute to individual vulnerability to these conditions and influence the severity of psychopathological symptoms. Identification of genetic variants opens prospects for personalized diagnostics and individualized psychopharmacotherapy.

Pages

  • 50-56

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References

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UKRAINS'KYI VISNYK PSYKHONEVROLOHII

The Scientific and Practical Journal of Medicine

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