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Updated: Feb 26, 2026

Comet Assay as an Indirect Measure of Systemic Oxidative Stress
Published on: May 22, 2015
Perceived Stress, Depressive Symptoms, and Oxidative DNA Damage
Chisato Shimanoe1, Megumi Hara, Yuichiro Nishida
1From the Department of Preventive Medicine (Shimanoe, Hara, Nishida, Horita, Tanaka), Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga; Department of Public Health (Nanri), Showa University School of Medicine; Department of Nutritional Science (Yamada), National Institute of Health and Nutrition, Tokyo; Department of Environmental Oncology (Li, Kasai, Kawai), Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu; and Laboratory of Exercise Physiology (Higaki), Faculty of Sports and Health Science, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Psychological stress, not depression, was weakly linked to increased oxidative DNA damage (8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine or 8-OHdG). Physical activity may influence this association. Further research is needed.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Biomarkers
- Oxidative Stress
Background:
- Psychosocial stress is implicated in disease risk via oxidative DNA damage.
- Urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) is a marker of oxidative DNA damage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and urinary 8-OHdG levels.
- To examine potential interactions between stress and depression on 8-OHdG.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 6517 Japanese adults (aged 45-74).
- Assessed perceived stress via questionnaire and depressive symptoms using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale.
- Measured urinary 8-OHdG using high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.
Main Results:
- Higher perceived stress showed a significant positive association with increased urinary 8-OHdG.
- This association was attenuated by physical activity, suggesting mediation or confounding.
- Depressive symptoms were not significantly associated with 8-OHdG, and no interaction was found.
Conclusions:
- A weak positive association exists between perceived stress and oxidative DNA damage marker 8-OHdG in a Japanese population.
- Depressive symptoms were not associated with 8-OHdG.
- Further research is warranted to explore the interplay between stress, depression, and 8-OHdG.
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