Dysregulation of neuro-inflammation mediated by adiponectin may cause generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). A study explored the features of peripheral adiponectin and its role in forecasting treatment results in patients with a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) treated by escitalopram or venlafaxine.

 70 untreated GAD patients meeting the diagnosis criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV) were enrolled and treated with either escitalopram or venlafaxine for 8 weeks. The serum adiponectin level of GAD and healthy controls (HCs) was measured by ELISA before treatment. Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) estimation was also performed at baseline and weeks 1, 2, 4, and 8 after treatment. Serum adiponectin levels resembled between GAD patients and HCs; in remission and nonremission cases. Further, the correlation between baseline adiponectin level and HAM-A reduction rate was also investigated.

GAD patients showed higher serum adiponectin levels than HCs and also remission cases showed higher serum adiponectin levels than nonremission cases, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area in predicting treatment remission was 0.652±0.066. 

The relation between baseline adiponectin level and HAM-A reduction rate of GAD cases treated with escitalopram and venlafaxine in the endpoint and the ROC area of baseline adiponectin level in predicting treatment remission was found to be more in escitalopram.

Thus, Peripheral adiponectin is upregulated in GAD, which may predict a better treatment remission treated with escitalopram but not with venlafaxine. Furthermore, adiponectin can be a potential key biomarker in Chinese GAD.