Interleukin 1 level, cognitive performance, and severity of depressive symptoms in patients treated with systemic anticancer therapy: a prospective study

Abstract

Aim To assess the relationship between cognitive functions, severity of depressive symptoms, and expression of interleukin 1 (IL)-1 in patients treated with systemic anticancer therapy. Methods This prospective study, conducted in 2017-2018, involved 55 patients (56% men) subjected to systemic anticancer therapy. Forty-one patients had lung cancer (74.55%) and 14 had breast cancer (25.45%). Patients’ mean age was 55.5 ± 9.3 (from 26 to 65 years). Neuropsychological tests were conducted twice: on the day of qualifying for the study before the start of chemotherapy and after the end of the full treatment cycle. We assessed patients’ cognitive functioning using Trail Making Test A&B (TMT), Stroop Color-Word Interference Test, and Verbal Fluency Test (VFT). Severity of depressive symptoms and the level of IL-1 expression were also examined. Results After chemotherapy, patients had significantly lower expression of IL-1α ( P < 0.005) and IL-1β ( P < 0.001) at the protein level. They also had lower severity of depressive symptoms (borderline significant, P = 0.063), needed more time to complete the first part of the Stroop test ( P = 0.03), and had worse score on the first part of the VFT ( P < 0.001). Before chemotherapy there was a significant negative correlation between IL-1β expression and the speed at which the first part of the TMT test was completed. Conclusions The severity of depressive symptoms after chemotherapy was lower than before chemotherapy. Patients’ cognitive performance did not significantly deteriorate after chemotherapy, except the performance at the first part of the Stroop test and the first part of the VFT.

Key Factor Regulating Inflammatory Microenvironment, Metastasis, and Resistance in Breast Cancer: Interleukin-1 Signaling

“…Interestingly, a study conducted in 2017-2018 explored the relationship between cognitive function, severity of depressive symptoms, and IL-1 expression in patients with BC treated with systemic anticancer therapy. The protein expression levels of IL-1α and IL-1β in patients after chemotherapy were significantly lower, and the severity of depressive symptoms was also lower than that before chemotherapy [151]. We need a more detailed understanding of how different types of cells interact in the microenvironment and how IL-1 signaling promotes or suppresses tumors to better use immune cells and IL-1 as targets and biomarkers for BC therapy.…”

Cancer‐related inflammation and depressive symptoms: Systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…Five of 6 studies (83%) found an association between depression and inflammation while patients were receiving chemotherapy. [37][38][39][40][41][42] All 4 studies of patients receiving radiation therapy revealed an association between depressive symptoms and inflammation. [43][44][45][46]…”

Association of Depressive Symptoms with Perceived Stress and Proinflammatory Cytokines in Treatment-Naïve Patients with Breast Cancer

“…A cumulative meta-analysis on relationships between pro-inflammatory cytokines and depression failed to clarify the correlation between depression and IL-1β because the existing results were very inconsistent (Haapakoski et al, 2015). However, Jasionowska et al (2019) also found a negative (but not significant) correlation between depressive symptoms and IL-1β in patients with cancer prior to systemic anticancer treatment. Furthermore, we did not find significant differences of IL-6 and TNF-α among the three groups and did not find any significant associations of depressive symptoms with them in patients with BC.…”