As in previous studies [2,28], subjective social isolation (as measured by the UCLA Loneliness Scale) was only modestly correlated with the objective size of an individual's social network (as measured by the Social Network Index); r = +0.277, p = 0.3603. In analyses controlling for variations in objective social network density, NF-κB/GRE ratios remained significantly elevated in individuals experiencing chronically high levels of subjective social isolation (p = 0.0258). This result is consistent with previous findings that neuroendocrine function is more strongly related to subjective social isolation than to objective social network density [2,28].
