Association between social isolation and inflammatory markers in depressed and non-depressed individuals: Results from the MONICA/KORA study
Abstract
Introduction Depressed individuals not only suffer from chronic low grade inflammation, but also exhibit an inflammatory hyper-responsiveness to acute stress. We investigate whether chronic stress also induces an exaggerated inflammatory response in individuals with increased depression features. As model for chronic stress, social isolation was chosen. Methods Interleukin (IL)-6 and hs-CRP levels were assessed in 1547 subjects (847 men and 700 women), derived from the population-based MONICA/KORA study. Standardized questionnaires were used to assess depressed mood (depression and exhaustion subscale) and social isolation (social network index). The relationship between the two inflammatory markers, social isolation and depressed mood was examined taking into account interactions social isolation × depressed mood using multivariable linear regression models, adjusted for age, BMI, smoking, alcohol, and physical activity. Analyses were performed in men and women separately. Results We observed a significant interaction between depressed mood and social isolation regarding IL-6 and hs-CRP, respectively in men (p-value=0.02 for IL-6 and Conclusion The interaction of depressed mood and social isolation elicits a substantial synergistic impact on inflammatory markers in men, but not in depressed women.
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Levels of CRP and IL-6 are 2.0 and 3.8 times higher, respectively, for socially isolated depressed men than for socially integrated nondepressed men.
“levels of CRP and IL-6 are 2.0 and 3.8 times higher, respectively, for socially isolated depressed men than for socially integrated nondepressed men”
From From stress to inflammation and major depressive disorder: A social signal transduction theory of depression. (2014) · cites this paper as Häfner et al., 2011
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- Authors
- Häfner, S., Emeny, R. T., Lacruz, M. E., Baumert, J., Herder, C., Koenig, W., Thorand, B., & Ladwig, K. H.
- Affiliations
- Helmholtz Munich (DE)
- Deutsches Diabetes-Zentrum e.V. (DE)
- TUM Klinikum (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Ladwig, K.H.
- Venue
- Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2011-11
- Volume
- 25
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1701-1707
- ISSN
- 0889-1591 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2062478357
- Cited by
- 72
- References
- 14
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 2.13
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Brain Behavior and Immunity (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- mediaTUM – the media and publications repository of the Technical University Munich (Technical University Munich) (submittedVersion)
- Site cant be reached (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
- Bundesministerium für Gesundheit
- Helmholtz Zentrum München
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Biological Psychiatry › Tryptophan and brain disorders
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Keywords
- social isolation, depression, chronic stress, inflammation, interleukin-6, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, depressive mood, sex differences, social networks
- MeSH terms
- Affect, Aged, C-Reactive Protein, Chronic Disease, Depression, Female, Humans, Inflammation, Male, Middle Aged, Population, Sex Characteristics, Social Environment, Social Isolation, Stress, Psychological, Biomarkers, Interleukin-6, Linear Models
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