Cytokines and sickness behavior: a model for cancer symptoms

Zalcman, Steven S.; Woodruff, Randall T.; Mohla, Ruchika; Siegel, Allan

doi:10.1017/cbo9780511780868.004

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…Increasing evidence suggests that pro-inflammatory cytokines are potent mediators of sickness behavior, linking the body's stress response with the observed behaviors. Although numerous theories exist regarding the mechanisms by which the immune system engenders a behavioral response, several cytokines (e.g., interlukin-6 [IL-6], tumor necrosis factor-a [TNF-a], interlukin-1b [IL-1b]) have emerged as most closely linked to both sickness behavior and depression (4-6). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measuring sickness behavior in the context of pancreatic cancer

et al. 2015

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Sickness behavior has been widely recognized as a symptom cluster that is associated with pro-inflammatory cytokine activation resulting from diverse conditions. The symptoms that comprise sickness behavior overlap substantially with major depressive disorder (MDD), which raises questions about the relationship between these two constructs, both of which occur frequently in patients with cancer. The construct of sickness behavior, while well-established in animal research, has rarely been applied to studies examining cytokines and depression in humans, perhaps because no reliable or validated measure of sickness behavior has been developed. We developed a version of a sickness behavior measure (the Sickness Behavior Inventory or SBI) and conducted a preliminary examination of its scale properties. Specifically, we hypothesized that a measure of sickness behavior would be significantly associated with five biomarkers of immune functioning (serum IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1b, IL-4, IL-10) in a human sample. The sample was comprised of four groups: individuals with pancreatic cancer and MDD (n=16), individuals with pancreatic cancer and who did not have a diagnosis of MDD (n=26), individuals without cancer who had MDD (n=7), and individuals who did not have cancer or MDD (n=25). The SBI demonstrated moderate reliability (Cronbach's alpha=.66), and total scores were significantly correlated with IL-6 (rs=.26, p=.03), but not with other immune functioning markers. Factor analysis supported a 3-factor model of sickness behavior with different associations between the three SBI factors and cytokines. These results highlight the need to further refine symptom measurement to better understand the relationships among immune functioning, cancer, depression, and sickness behavior.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%