Correlation of psychological and physical symptoms with chronically elevated cytokine levels associated with a common immune dysregulation.

Full Abstract

BACKGROUND:
Chronically elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines are associated with inflammatory diseases and psychological symptoms of depression and tiredness.

OBJECTIVE:
To test the prediction that, in a healthy population without medically diagnosed diseases, psychological symptoms (depression and tiredness) associated with proinflammatory cytokines correlate with physical symptoms associated with inflammatory disease.

METHODS:
A total of 1,143 women between 45 and 65 years old completed a health complaint checklist containing 11 target symptoms (5 related to allergy, 4 to gastrointestinal symptoms, and 2 to pain), 7 control symptoms or health complaints, and 2 psychological symptoms (depression and tiredness). They also completed a menopausal quality-of-life questionnaire; to compensate for response bias, we removed variance attributable to quality of life.

RESULTS:
The partial correlations show that tiredness (but not depression) correlated with 9 of the 11 target symptoms (P < .001) but with 0 of the 7 control symptoms or complaints. Symptoms of both the specific and the systemic components of inflammatory disease are correlated in a healthy population.

CONCLUSION:
Immune dysregulation may explain the existence and covariation of psychological and physical symptoms in the healthy population, including people with medically unexplained symptoms.

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Author information

Author/s: Whalley, Ben (B); Jacobs, Pamela A (PA); Hyland, Michael E (ME);

Affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, England.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology (Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Oct; vol 99 (issue 4) : pp 348-51

Dates: Created 2007/10/18; Completed 2007/12/06;

PMID: 17941282, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Arthritis - etiology; metabolism
Cytokines - metabolism
Depression - etiology; metabolism; psychology
Female
Gastrointestinal Diseases - etiology; metabolism
Humans
Hypersensitivity - etiology; metabolism

Hypersensitivity - etiology; metabolism
Immune System Diseases - complications; metabolism
Inflammation - etiology; metabolism
Mental Fatigue - etiology; metabolism; psychology
Middle Aged
Quality of Life
Questionnaires

Associated Chemicals: Cytokines (0)

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