Depression, cytokines, and pancreatic cancer
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between cytokines, depression, and pancreatic cancer. METHOD: A total of 75 individuals were recruited from two New York City hospitals (a cancer center and a psychiatric hospital) and composed of four subgroups: patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas who did (n = 17) and did not (n = 26) have a diagnosis of Major Depressive Episode (MDE), and healthy participants with (n = 7) and without (n = 25) MDE. All individuals completed a battery of self-report measures. Sera was assayed using Meso Scale Discovery techniques to measure the following pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines: IL-1beta, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p70, IFN-gamma, TGF-beta, and TNF-alpha; we also calculated the IL-2/IL-4 ratio. RESULTS: Pancreatic cancer patients had significantly higher levels of IL-6 and IL-10 and significantly lower TGF-beta levels than healthy participants. When the sample was divided into those with and without MDE, the groups only differed with regard to serum IL-6 levels. No significant cancer and depression interaction effect was observed. Severity of depressive symptoms was also significantly correlated with IL-6, rs = 0.28 and p = 0.02, whereas hopelessness was associated with IFN-alpha, rs = 0.34 and p = 0.006. Pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbance were associated with several of the cytokines assayed including IL-1beta (pain intensity), IL-4 (pain intensity and overall sleep quality), IL-12p70 (pain intensity), and TGF-beta (fatigue intensity), but anxiety was not associated with any of the cytokines assayed. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated an association between depression and IL-6, but not with other cytokines. Moreover, IL-6 was not significantly associated with other measures of psychological distress (anxiety and hopelessness) or with symptom distress (pain, fatigue, and sleep quality), although some cytokines assayed were associated with specific symptoms. The implications of these findings for the etiology and treatment of depression in pancreatic cancer patients are discussed.
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Peripheral levels of interleukin-10 are elevated in patients with depression compared to healthy controls.
“peripheral levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α are elevated”
From Cytokine Research in Depression: Principles, Challenges, and Open Questions (2019) · cites this paper as [63]
Peripheral levels of interleukin-13 are elevated in patients with depression compared to healthy controls.
“peripheral levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α are elevated”
From Cytokine Research in Depression: Principles, Challenges, and Open Questions (2019) · cites this paper as [63]
Peripheral levels of interleukin-6 are elevated in patients with depression compared to healthy controls.
“peripheral levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α are elevated”
From Cytokine Research in Depression: Principles, Challenges, and Open Questions (2019) · cites this paper as [63]
Peripheral levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha are elevated in patients with depression compared to healthy controls.
“peripheral levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α are elevated”
From Cytokine Research in Depression: Principles, Challenges, and Open Questions (2019) · cites this paper as [63]
Peripheral levels of interleukin-12 are elevated in patients with depression compared to healthy controls.
“peripheral levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α are elevated”
From Cytokine Research in Depression: Principles, Challenges, and Open Questions (2019) · cites this paper as [63]
Peripheral levels of interleukin-18 are elevated in patients with depression compared to healthy controls.
“patients with depression have elevated serum or plasma concentrations of IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IL-18, TNF-α, and its receptor soluble TNFR2 compared to healthy controls”
From Cytokine Research in Depression: Principles, Challenges, and Open Questions (2019) · cites this paper as [63]
Interferon-gamma levels are lower in patients with depression than in healthy controls.
“interferon (IFN)-γ levels are lower in patients with depression compared to healthy controls”
From Cytokine Research in Depression: Principles, Challenges, and Open Questions (2019) · cites this paper as [63]
Peripheral levels of soluble TNFR2 are elevated in patients with depression compared to healthy controls.
“patients with depression have elevated serum or plasma concentrations of IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IL-18, TNF-α, and its receptor soluble TNFR2 compared to healthy controls”
From Cytokine Research in Depression: Principles, Challenges, and Open Questions (2019) · cites this paper as [63]
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- Authors
- Breitbart, W., Rosenfeld, B., Tobias, K., Pessin, H., Ku, G. Y., Yuan, J., & Wolchok, J.
- Affiliations
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (US)
- Fordham University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Breitbart, William
- Venue
- Psycho-Oncology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2013-10-18
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 339-345
- ISSN
- 1057-9249 (ISSN-L)
- 1099-1611
- PMC
- PMC4220448
- OpenAlex
- W2096382678
- Cited by
- 106
- References
- 27
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 4
- FWCI
- 1.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Psycho-Oncology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Public Health Service (R21 101767)
- National Cancer Institute (R21CA101767)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Biological Psychiatry › Tryptophan and brain disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Cancer, Stress, Anesthesia, and Immune Response
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Pancreatic and Hepatic Oncology Research
- Keywords
- depression, pancreatic cancer, cytokines, interleukin-6, IL-10, TGF-beta, inflammatory cytokines, major depressive episode, hopelessness, pain, fatigue, sleep disorders, psychological distress, cancer patients
- MeSH terms
- Adenocarcinoma, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Analysis of Variance, Anxiety Disorders, Depression, Depressive Disorder, Fatigue, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, New York City, Pain, Pancreatic Neoplasms, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Sleep Wake Disorders, Case-Control Studies, Cytokines
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