Chronic psychological stress and the regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines: A glucocorticoid-resistance model

被引:666
作者
Miller, GE
Cohen, S
Ritchey, AK
机构
[1] Washington Univ, Dept Psychol, St Louis, MO 63130 USA
[2] Carnegie Mellon Univ, Dept Psychol, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 USA
[3] Childrens Hosp Pittsburgh, Div Hematol Oncol, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 USA
关键词
psychoneuroinummology; chronic stress; cortisol; pro-inflammatory cytokines; cancer; social support;
D O I
10.1037//0278-6133.21.6.531
中图分类号
B849 [应用心理学];
学科分类号
040203 ;
摘要
This study examined whether chronic stress impairs the immune system's capacity to respond to hormonal signals that terminate inflammation. Fifty healthy adults were studied; half were parents of cancer patients, and half were parents of healthy children. Parents of cancer patients reported more psychological distress than parents of healthy children. They also had flatter diurnal slopes of cortisol secretion, primarily because of reduced output during the morning hours. There was also evidence that chronic stress impaired the immune system's response to anti-inflammatory signals: The capacity of a synthetic glucocorticoid hormone to suppress in vitro production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 was diminished among parents of cancer patients. Findings suggest a novel pathway by which chronic stress might alter the course of inflammatory disease.
引用
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页码:531 / 541
页数:11
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