Decreased Systemic Monocyte Colony Protein-1 (MCP-1) Levels and Reduced sCD14 Levels in Curcumin-Treated Patients with Moderate Anxiety: A Pilot Study

Psychosocial stress may alter cortisol and/or affect the normal functioning of the immune system. Curcuminoids can promote beneficial effects in neuropsychiatric diseases. We evaluated whether curcumin supplementation for 15 consecutive days (1800 mg/day) would decrease systemic MCP-1, sCD14, and TNF alpha levels in patients with moderate anxiety (n = 81). A total number of 81 subjects were enrolled in this study, divided into the following groups according to their Hamilton scores: a control group including patients without anxiety who were not taking curcumin (Cont, n = 22) and an anxiety group including patients with moderate anxiety (Anx, n = 22). The curcumin-treated patients experienced moderate anxiety, and they take curcumin for 15 consecutive days (Anx-Cur (after), n = 15, 1800 mg/day). An evaluation of 128 patients was conducted, which allowed for their assignment to the study groups according to their scores on Hamilton scale II. The cortisol levels were quantified in salivary samples through ELISA (ng/mL), and malonaldehyde (MDA) levels were measured in plasma via the TBARS assay as an index of lipoperoxidation. Several systemic proinflammatory cytokines (pg/mL: MCP-1, TNF alpha, IL-1 beta) and mediators were quantified through ELISA (pg/mL), including systemic sCD14 levels as a marker of monocyte activation. A two-way bifactorial ANOVA was conducted to evaluate the contributions of the anxiety factor (Anx) and/or curcumin factor (Cur) in all the tested markers, including interactions between both factors. High systemic MCP-1 and elevated sCD14 levels were observed in patients with moderate anxiety, which were reduced with curcumin supplementation. In addition, curcumin prevented cortisol overexpression and decreased MDA levels as an antioxidant response in these patients. Collectively, curcumin presented anti-chemotactic effects by reducing systemic MCP-1 levels in anxiety. Curcumin decreased systemic MCP-1 as well as sCD14 levels in patients with moderate anxiety.