Biological Markers in Newly Diagnosed Generalized Anxiety Disorder Patients: 8-OHdG, S100B and Oxidative Stress

Purpose: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a chronic disease persisting for at least 6 months, characterized by excessive and continuous anxiety, which leads to evident problems and functional disorders. S100B is a glial protein that plays a role in intercellular communication regulating cell growth and differentiation, and intracellular signal transmission. This study aimed to analyze the serum S100B, 8-OHdG, and oxidative stress levels of patients newly diagnosed with GAD who had not started treatment, to better understand the underlying neurobiological basis of the etiology of GAD.Patients and Methods: Forty-four patients diagnosed with GAD according to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria and 44 healthy controls were included in the study. The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) was used to determine the anxiety levels of the GAD patients. The serum S100B, 8-OHdG, total oxidant status (TOS), and total antioxidant status (TAS) levels were measured in the patient and control groups.Results: The 8-OHdG values of the GAD group were determined to be statistically significantly higher than those of the control group (p=0.028). No significant difference was determined between the GAD patients and the control group in respect of the TAS, TOS, and oxidative stress index (OSI) values (p>0.05). The S100B levels of the GAD group were found to be higher than those of the control group.Conclusion: The results of this study showed that there could be DNA damage because of oxidative stress in GAD patients. There is a need for further studies to confirm the role of S100B protein in GAD etiology and pathogenesis.