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Cited by 158Stress Responses and CortisolHeart Rate Variability and Autonomic ControlTryptophan and brain disorders

Delayed response and lack of habituation in plasma interleukin-6 to acute mental stress in men

von Känel, Roland, Kudielka, Brigitte M., Preckel, Daniel, Hanebuth, Dirk, Fischer, Joachim E.·2006·Brain Behavior and Immunity
DOI 10.1016/j.bbi.2005.03.013
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Abstract

Acute mental stress induces a significant increase in plasma interleukin (IL)-6 levels as a possible mechanism for how psychological stress might contribute to atherosclerosis. We investigated whether the IL-6 response would habituate in response to a repetitively applied mental stressor and whether cortisol reactivity would show a relationship with IL-6 reactivity. Study participants were 21 reasonably healthy men (mean age 46+/-7 years) who underwent the Trier Social Stress Test (combination of a 3-min preparation, 5-min speech, and 5-min mental arithmetic) three times with an interval of 1 week. Plasma IL-6 and free salivary cortisol were measured immediately before and after stress, and at 45 and 105 min of recovery from stress. Cortisol samples were also obtained 15 and 30 min after stress. Compared to non-stressed controls, IL-6 significantly increased between rest and 45 min post-stress (p=.022) and between rest and 105 min post-stress (p=.001). Peak cortisol (p=.034) and systolic blood pressure (p=.009) responses to stress both habituated between weeks one and three. No adaptation occurred in diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and IL-6 responses to stress. The areas under the curve integrating the stress-induced changes in cortisol and IL-6 reactivity were negatively correlated at visit three (r=-.54, p=.011), but not at visit one. The IL-6 response to acute mental stress occurs delayed and shows no adaptation to repeated moderate mental stress. The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis may attenuate stress reactivity of IL-6. The lack of habituation in IL-6 responses to daily stress could subject at-risk individuals to higher atherosclerotic morbidity and mortality.

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  • In the general population, GI symptoms themselves have been reported to be associated with alterations in TNF-α and IL-6.

    “In the general population, GI symptoms themselves have been reported to also be associated with alterations in TNF-α and IL-6, suggesting a potential interaction between stress and immune functioning in those with GI dysfunction (Lyte et al., 2011; von Känel et al., 2006).”

    From Associations between cytokines, endocrine stress response, and gastrointestinal symptoms in autism spectrum disorder (2016) · cites this paper as von Känel et al., 2006

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Authors
von Känel, R., Kudielka, B. M., Preckel, D., Hanebuth, D., & Fischer, J. E.
Affiliations
  • Universität Trier (DE)
  • ETH Zurich (CH)
ORCID
Venue
Brain Behavior and Immunity
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2006-01
Volume
20
Issue
1
Pages
40-48
ISSN
0889-1591 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.bbi.2005.03.013
OpenAlex
W2034314450
Cited by
158
References
58
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 9
FWCI
3.39
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
Locations
  • Brain Behavior and Immunity (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Bern Open Repository and Information System (University of Bern) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Biological Psychiatry › Tryptophan and brain disorders
Keywords
interleukin-6, acute psychological stress, habituation, cortisol, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, Trier Social Stress Test, atherosclerosis, blood pressure, heart rate, salivary cortisol
MeSH terms
Acute Disease, Adaptation, Physiological, Adult, Analysis of Variance, Blood Pressure, Habituation, Psychophysiologic, Heart Rate, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System, Male, Middle Aged, Pituitary-Adrenal System, Reference Values, Saliva, Stress, Psychological, Neuroimmunomodulation, Interleukin-6

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