Relationship between depression and blood cytokine levels in lung cancer patients

¹ MD, Department of Psychological Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai (200032), China
² Department of Respiratory Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
³ Department of Pharmacy, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shangai 200032, China

^* Corresponding author huangxiao320@126.com

Abstract

Objective: To study the correlation between depression and blood cytokine levels in lung cancer patients.

Methods: 92 patients with advanced lung cancer were evaluated for depression using the scoring index of depression self-rating scale. Lack of depression (n=24), mild depression (n=45), and moderate depression (n=23) were found in the cohort. Meanwhile, 40 healthy subjects were selected as the control group. The levels of IL-10, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α in each group were detected by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and their correlation with the degree of depression was analyzed.

Results: The levels of IL-10, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α were all higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). Moreover, the depression statuses of patients with lung cancer were positively correlated with IL-10, IL-6, and TNF-α levels (r = 0.705, 0.301, and 0.446, P<0.01); however, the level of IL-8 was not relevant (r=0.136, p>0.05).

Conclusion: Serum levels of IL-10, IL-6, and TNF-α are associated with depression scoring in patients with lung cancer.