Raposo-Lima C, Pereira IM, Marques F, et al. - Clinical heterogeneity and complex pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is due to the diversity of pathophysiological factors that have been proposed to be involved in the natural history of the disorder. Researchers conducted this exploratory study including 21 obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients and 19 healthy individuals, with the aim to determine if lipocalin-2 (LCN2), an analogous form of the acute-phase pro-inflammatory protein neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), is involved in the regulation of the stress response, which is thought to be disrupted in OCD. The peripheral blood of all participants were assessed for levels of NGAL. Outcomes revealed raised levels of NGAL among OCD patients, which suggest a possible role of immune dysregulation in the pathophysiology of OCD.