To further distinguish between the effects of chronic loneliness and transient fluctuations in subjective social isolation (that is, state loneliness), we conducted ANCOVAs controlling for residual variance in UCLA Loneliness scores assessed during the specific study visit in which gene expression was assayed. Trait loneliness was assessed by the average UCLA score across study visits 1-3 (the basis for group classification), and state loneliness was quantified as the difference betweeen an individual's UCLA score at visit 4 or 5 (gene expression visit) and trait loneliness. Despite control for variations in state loneliness, gene expression profiles contrasting high versus low trait loneliness continued to show a significant elevation in the expression of NF-κB-/GRE-responsive genes (p = 0.0120).
