ArticleBrain, behavior, and immunity2025
LGBTQ+ identity and its association with inflammation and cellular immune function.
Article in Brain, behavior, and immunity, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Self-rated health and inflammation: Associations among partnered sexual minority and heterosexual adults.Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association · 2026Article
- Sexual minority adults exhibit greater inflammation than heterosexual adults in the context of depressive symptoms and anxiety: Pathways to health disparities.Brain, behavior, and immunity · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Self-identification among lesbian, gay, transgender, queer, and other sexual minorities (LGBTQ+) is complex and multifaceted, yet few studies have examined its impact on immune parameters. The National Couples' Health and Time Study (NCHAT) is a nationally-representative cohort of 3,642 adult main respondents, ages 20 to 60 years, who are married or cohabiting, among whom 45 % self-identify as a non-heterosexual identity. Biological data were collected from a subset in the NCHAT Stress Biology study (NCHAT-BIO). The current analyses focus on data from 289 participants in NCHAT-BIO who identified as a non-heterosexual identity. Participants self-reported demographic, mental health, and LGBTQ+ identity items. Finger stick dried blood spot (DBS) sampling was self-administered by participants and assayed for C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and antibodies against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Multivariable regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between each of the biomarkers and: 1) individual LGBTQ+ identity items and 2) latent profiles of LGBTQ+ identity items. Models were adjusted for demographic factors and other confounders. Among those assigned female at birth, a greater sense of pride in one's LGBTQ+ identity was associated with lower EBV antibody levels. Among those assigned male at birth, greater desire to keep one's identity private was associated with elevated CRP while those who would choose to be straight or wish they were heterosexual had elevated levels of IL-6. Meanwhile, being proud of one's LGBTQ+ identity predicted lower IL-6. These results provide novel evidence from a large sample that internalized stigma related to one's LGBTQ+ identity is associated with elevated inflammation and poorer cellular immune function while identity affirmation is associated with reduced inflammation. Future research should aim to develop and target both behavioral and biomedical interventions aimed at reducing health disparities among sexual minority populations.
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What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.