Are there differences in oxidative stress and inflammatory processes between the autogenous and reactive subtypes of...

To date, no study has investigated whether autogenous and reactive obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) types are different entities in terms of oxidative stress and inflammatory processes. The aim of this study is to compare them in terms of these features.

The study was conducted in subjects with reactive OCD (n=19), autogenous OCD (n=14), and a control group (n=17). All participants were non-smokers. Sociodemographic data were collected and the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ), and Overvalued Ideas Scale (OVIS) were administered. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), paraoxonase (PON1), total oxidant status (TOS), and total antioxidant status (TAS) were measured.

There were no significant differences in TAS, TOS, or oxidative stress index (OSI) between the OCD and control groups. PON1 and hs-CRP levels were higher in the OCD group, whereas IL-6 and IL-10 levels were lower. Comparison across the three groups revealed no differences in TAS, TOS, OSI, or PON1 levels; however, hs-CRP was significantly higher while IL-6 and IL-10 were significantly lower in the reactive group compared to controls.

Our results show that, although inflammatory processes may play a role in OCD, the autogenous and reactive subtypes do not differ from each other in these respects. The classification of OCD into autogenous and reactive subtypes should be reevaluated.