Washington : A new study has indicated that stress- related inflammation might lead to an increase in the risk of depression, reports ANI.
The study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai showed that preexisting differences in the sensitivity of a key part of each individual’s immune system to stress confer a greater risk of developing stress-related depression or anxiety.
The new study measured the cytokine IL-6 in non-aggressive mice prior to and after repeated social stress invoked by an aggressive mouse.
They found that IL-6 levels were higher in mice that were more susceptible to stress than in “stress-resilient” mice.
They also found the levels of leukocytes (white blood cells that release IL-6) were higher in stress susceptible mice before stress exposure.
