Citation

Mommersteeg PM, Vermetten E, Kavelaars A, Geuze E, Heijnen CJ. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2008; 33(8): 1041-1050.

Affiliation

Laboratory for Psychoneuroimmunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, KC03.068.0, Lundlaan 6, 3584EA Utrecht, The Netherlands; CoRPS-Center of Research on Psychology in Somatic diseases, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.psyneuen.2008.05.007

PMID

18640786

Abstract

Hostility is a risk factor for adverse health outcomes as diverse as cardiovascular disease and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Cytokines have been suggested to mediate this relationship. We investigated whether in healthy men a relation existed between hostility and T-cell mitogen-induced cytokines and chemokines. Male Dutch military personnel (n=304) were included before deployment. Eleven cytokines and chemokines were measured in supernatants of T-cell mitogen-stimulated whole blood cultures by multiplex immunoassay. Factor analysis was used to identify clusters of cytokines and chemokines. In a regression analysis hostility was related to the cytokine/chemokine clusters, and the potential risk factors age, BMI, smoking, drinking, previous deployment, early life trauma and depression. Explorative factor analysis showed four functional clusters; a pro-inflammatory factor (IL-2, TNFalpha, IFNgamma), an anti-inflammatory factor (IL-4, IL-5, IL-10), IL-6/chemokine factor (IL-6, MCP-1, RANTES, IP-10), and MIF. Hostility was significantly related to decreased IL-6/chemokine secretion and increased pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. There was an inverse relation between age and hostility scores. Early life trauma and depression were positively and independently related to hostility as well. This study represents a novel way of investigating the relation between cytokines and psychological characteristics. Cytokines/chemokines clustered into functional factors, which were related to hostility in healthy males. Moreover this relation appeared to be independent of reported depression and early trauma.

Language: en