Inflammatory cytokines in patients with common mental disorders treated with cognitive behavior therapy

Peripheral inflammation has been found associated with psychiatric disorders. However, results are inconclusive as to its role in common mental disorders (CMDs), i.e., depression, anxiety, insomnia and stress-related disorders. Further, some research suggests that cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) could reduce inflammatory markers in CMDs. In the present study, we measured pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α], interleukin-6 [IL-6] and IL-8) pre- and post-treatment in two clinical trials (N ​= ​367) investigating CBT for patients with CMDs in primary care. We hypothesized that higher levels of these cytokines would be associated with more severe psychiatric symptoms (i.e., symptoms of depression, stress and anxiety). We also hypothesized that level of cytokines would decrease after CBT and that the reduced levels would correlate with a reduction in symptoms. Results showed that in men, higher levels of TNF-α were associated with more severe psychiatric symptoms. Further, age moderated the association between TNF-α, as well as IL-6, and stress, and exploratory stratified analyses revealed significant associations in subgroups. No other significant associations between cytokines and psychiatric symptoms were found. None of the cytokines were reduced following CBT, and the marked improvements in psychiatric symptoms after treatment were not associated with changes in cytokines. In conclusion, although inflammation might be of relevance in subgroups, it seems to be of limited importance for clinical improvements across mild to moderate CMDs.