Abstract
Background: The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the immune system have a well-described bidirectional relationship. Whether chronic stress exposure disrupts the interaction between these two systems is not known.
Method: Information on stressful life events and risk factors wasobtained in standardized interviews of the population-based KORA Age study population (394 male and 374 female, mean age = 75.1±6.3 years). Salivary cortisol was measured in the morning after awakening (M1), 30 minutes after awakening (M2) and late evening (E). Concentrations of serum cortisol and IL-6 levels were measured at the study center. Multivariate regression analyses (adjusted for age, sex, adiposity, multi-morbidity, depressed mood and anxiety) were employed to examine the association between cortisol measurements and IL-6 in subjects, stratified for stressful life events.
Results: In the total sample population, 30.7% (N=236) participants experienced a stressful life event during the year before examination whereas 69.3% (N=532) did not. A lower cortisol awakening response (CAR) was observed in subject with stressful events compared to individuals without an event, however, was only significantly lower in women (P=0.0002) and not men (P=0.2). A lower M1 to E ratio and M2 to E ratio was associated with higher IL-6 levels but this was only statistically significant in subjects without a stressful event. Subjects who had experienced a recent stressful life event and who were in the top tertile of serum cortisol level had significantly increased IL-6 levels.
Conclusion: The cross talk between cortisol and inflammatory markers is dysregulated under conditions of chronic stress.
Method: Information on stressful life events and risk factors wasobtained in standardized interviews of the population-based KORA Age study population (394 male and 374 female, mean age = 75.1±6.3 years). Salivary cortisol was measured in the morning after awakening (M1), 30 minutes after awakening (M2) and late evening (E). Concentrations of serum cortisol and IL-6 levels were measured at the study center. Multivariate regression analyses (adjusted for age, sex, adiposity, multi-morbidity, depressed mood and anxiety) were employed to examine the association between cortisol measurements and IL-6 in subjects, stratified for stressful life events.
Results: In the total sample population, 30.7% (N=236) participants experienced a stressful life event during the year before examination whereas 69.3% (N=532) did not. A lower cortisol awakening response (CAR) was observed in subject with stressful events compared to individuals without an event, however, was only significantly lower in women (P=0.0002) and not men (P=0.2). A lower M1 to E ratio and M2 to E ratio was associated with higher IL-6 levels but this was only statistically significant in subjects without a stressful event. Subjects who had experienced a recent stressful life event and who were in the top tertile of serum cortisol level had significantly increased IL-6 levels.
Conclusion: The cross talk between cortisol and inflammatory markers is dysregulated under conditions of chronic stress.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 69 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Journal | Journal of Psychosomatic Research |
| Volume | 85 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 2016 |
| Externally published | Yes |