The Association Between Salivary FGF2 and Physiological and Psychological Components of the Human Stress Response

Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 (FGF2) is a neurotrophic protein that has been implicated as a biomarker for anxiety and depressive disorders, which comprise a significant component of the global burden of disease. Research using rodents has indicated that FGF2 is part of the stress response, but whether this translates to humans has yet to be investigated. In this study, we aimed to explore the potential role of FGF2 in the human stress response by examining its association with physiological and psychological processes during and following the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST).

Participants in the active stress experiment (N  =  87) underwent the TSST, provided saliva samples to obtain levels of cortisol and FGF2, and reported on post-event rumination related to the TSST task over the following week. Participants in the no-stress experiment (N  =  25) provided saliva samples for measurement of FGF2 and cortisol across a corresponding time period.

Salivary FGF2 levels changed after the TSST and were associated with the pattern of change in salivary cortisol. Cortisol responses in the active stress condition were blunted in females (relative to males), however, sex did not interact with any other effect. FGF2 reactivity (ie, the magnitude of change over time) was not correlated with cortisol reactivity. Lower FGF2 reactivity following the TSST, but not overall FGF2 levels, or cortisol, was associated with higher fear of negative evaluation, repetitive negative thinking and post-event processing, as well as repetitive negative thinking in the week following the TSST. Participants in the no-stress experiment showed a decrease in cortisol, yet no change in their FGF2 levels.

These findings suggest that FGF2 is involved in the human stress response and higher levels of FGF2 reactivity may be associated with protective cognitive processes following stress exposure.