Abstract
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common mental illness that can significantly impair the patients' quality of life. Recent studies have shown that patients with this condition usually suffer from inflammatory or rheumatological comorbidities. However, the association between OCD's etiology and inflammation is still controversial. This review aims to explore the correlation between OCD and rheumatological as well as inflammatory disorders based on studies conducted in the last decade. A total of eight articles that were deemed eligible were included in the final assessment, involving 31,204 OCD patients from various countries. The most significant inflammatory biomarkers examined were tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukins, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and cytokines. We concluded that the pathophysiology and etiology of OCD are strongly correlated with inflammatory biomarkers. This finding warrants future studies on the efficacy of anti-inflammatory agents to treat OCD, particularly in the early stages of the disease.
Highlights
BackgroundObsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is defined as a severe mental disease characterized by recurrent compulsions and obsessions that can lead to significant stresses and functional abnormalities [1]
This cross-reaction results in pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) as well as pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS) [7,8]
After searching the abstracts and applying the eligibility criteria on identified potential abstracts, eight articles published between January 2010 and November 2020 were included in the present systematic review, involving 31,204 OCD patients from different countries
Summary
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is defined as a severe mental disease characterized by recurrent compulsions and obsessions that can lead to significant stresses and functional abnormalities [1]. Multiple inflammatory and rheumatological markers have been studied among patients with OCD [9]. Gray and Bloch studied proinflammatory cytokines markers in OCD patients by performing a systematic review [11]. The present review aims to thoroughly examine the medical literature published during the last decade to explore the correlation of OCD with inflammatory and rheumatological diseases. The outcomes were refined to include only original research articles investigating the association between OCD and inflammatory or rheumatological diseases and markers among adults or pediatric patients. The inclusion criteria were as follows: articles that contained information on the study population and examined inflammatory or rheumatological markers. Any discrepancies were resolved through a discussion with a senior member
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