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Production of pro-inflammatory cytokines correlates with the symptoms of acute sickness behaviour in humans

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 October 2004

U. VOLLMER-CONNA ,
C. FAZOU ,
B. CAMERON ,
H. LI ,
C. BRENNAN ,
L. LUCK ,
T. DAVENPORT ,
D. WAKEFIELD ,
I. HICKIE  and
A. LLOYD
U. VOLLMER-CONNA
Affiliation:
School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, 2052, Australia; Inflammation Research Unit, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, 2052, Australia; Brain and Mind Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Beyondblue: the National Depression Initiative, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
C. FAZOU
Affiliation:
School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, 2052, Australia; Inflammation Research Unit, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, 2052, Australia; Brain and Mind Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Beyondblue: the National Depression Initiative, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
B. CAMERON
Affiliation:
School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, 2052, Australia; Inflammation Research Unit, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, 2052, Australia; Brain and Mind Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Beyondblue: the National Depression Initiative, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
H. LI
Affiliation:
School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, 2052, Australia; Inflammation Research Unit, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, 2052, Australia; Brain and Mind Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Beyondblue: the National Depression Initiative, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
C. BRENNAN
Affiliation:
School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, 2052, Australia; Inflammation Research Unit, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, 2052, Australia; Brain and Mind Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Beyondblue: the National Depression Initiative, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
L. LUCK
Affiliation:
School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, 2052, Australia; Inflammation Research Unit, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, 2052, Australia; Brain and Mind Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Beyondblue: the National Depression Initiative, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
T. DAVENPORT
Affiliation:
School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, 2052, Australia; Inflammation Research Unit, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, 2052, Australia; Brain and Mind Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Beyondblue: the National Depression Initiative, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
D. WAKEFIELD
Affiliation:
School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, 2052, Australia; Inflammation Research Unit, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, 2052, Australia; Brain and Mind Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Beyondblue: the National Depression Initiative, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
I. HICKIE
Affiliation:
School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, 2052, Australia; Inflammation Research Unit, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, 2052, Australia; Brain and Mind Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Beyondblue: the National Depression Initiative, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
A. LLOYD
Affiliation:
School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, 2052, Australia; Inflammation Research Unit, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, 2052, Australia; Brain and Mind Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Beyondblue: the National Depression Initiative, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Abstract

Background. Elaboration of the concept of cytokine-induced sickness behaviour in recent years has opened new avenues for understanding brain involvement in sickness and recovery processes. Additionally, this has led to much speculation about the role of the immune system in neuropsychiatric syndromes, including depression and chronic fatigue. However, few studies have examined this phenomenon as it naturally occurs in sick humans, and none has attempted to document the quantitative relationships between cytokine levels and non-specific symptoms. The aim of this research was to examine human sickness behaviour and its immunological correlates in documented Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), Q fever or Ross River virus (RRV) infections.

Method. We studied two separate samples. The first consisted of 21 patients with acute Q fever. The second included 48 patients with acute RRV or EBV infection. Psychological and somatic symptom profiles were derived from self-report measures completed at enrolment. Quantification of pro-inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6] in sera and supernatants of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cultures was undertaken by specific ELISAs.

Results. Levels of IL-1β and IL-6 spontaneously released from PBMC cultures were consistently correlated with reported manifestations of acute sickness behaviour including fever, malaise, pain, fatigue, mood and poor concentration.

Conclusions. IL-1β and IL-6 produced as part of the host response represent sensitive markers of sickness behaviour in humans with acute infection. Further work is needed to systematically characterize the spectrum and natural history of sickness behaviour in humans and to elucidate its biological basis.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 34 , Issue 7 , October 2004 , pp. 1289 - 1297
Copyright
© 2004 Cambridge University Press

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