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PMID: 18779606 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Interleukin-6, cortisol, and depressive symptoms in ovarian cancer patients.

Lutgendorf SK, Weinrib AZ, Penedo F, Russell D, DeGeest K, Costanzo ES, Henderson PJ, Sephton SE, Rohleder N, Lucci JA, Cole S, Sood AK, Lubaroff DM

Abstract

Inflammatory processes have been implicated in the pathogenesis of both depression and cancer. Links between depressive symptoms, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and cortisol dysregulation have been demonstrated in cancer patients, but vegetative versus affective components of depression have been minimally examined. The objective of the current study was to examine associations between IL-6, diurnal cortisol rhythms, and facets of depression in epithelial ovarian cancer patients. Patients awaiting surgery for a pelvic mass suspected for ovarian cancer completed questionnaires, collected salivary samples for 3 days presurgery, and gave a presurgical blood sample. Ascites was obtained during surgery. IL-6 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and cortisol by a chemiluminescence immunoassay. The final sample included 112 invasive ovarian cancer patients (86 advanced stage, 26 early stage) and 25 patients with tumors of low malignant potential (LMP). Advanced-stage ovarian cancer patients demonstrated elevations in vegetative and affective depressive symptoms, plasma IL-6, and the cortisol area under the curve (AUC) compared with patients with LMP tumors (all P < .05). Among invasive ovarian cancer patients, greater vegetative depression was related to elevated IL-6 in plasma (P = .008) and ascites (P = .024), but affective depression was unrelated to IL-6. Elevations in total depression (P = .026) and vegetative depression (P = .005) were also related to higher evening cortisol levels. Plasma IL-6 was related to greater afternoon and evening cortisol and cortisol AUC (all P values < .005). These results demonstrate significant relationships between IL-6, cortisol, and vegetative depression, and may have implications for treatment of depression in ovarian cancer patients.

MeSH Terms
Adult Aged Aged, 80 and over Biomarkers/analysis Circadian Rhythm Depression/immunology Female Humans Hydrocortisone/analysis,immunology Interleukin-6/analysis,immunology Middle Aged Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial/immunology Ovarian Neoplasms/immunology
Chemicals
Biomarkers Interleukin-6 Hydrocortisone
Authors & Affiliations
13 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Lutgendorf Susan K
Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. susan-lutgendorf@uiowa.edu
Weinrib Aliza Z
Penedo Frank
Russell Daniel
DeGeest Koen
Costanzo Erin S
Henderson Patrick J
Sephton Sandra E
Rohleder Nicolas
Lucci Joseph A
Cole Steven
Sood Anil K
Lubaroff David M
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Article Info
Journal
Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology
Abbr.
J Clin Oncol
ISSN
1527-7755
Published
2008-10-10
Epub
2008-00-08
Pages
4820-7
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
8309333
PMCID
PMC2653140
Subset
IM
Grants
NCI NIH HHS · R01 CA104825 · United States
NCI NIH HHS · CA104825 · United States
NCI NIH HHS · CA88293 · United States
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