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1.
Mental and physical health effects of meaningful work and rewarding family responsibilities.
Dich, N, Lund, R, Hansen, ÅM, Rod, NH
PloS one. 2019;(4):e0214916
Abstract
Positive feelings about work and family responsibilities benefit psychological well-being, but their physical health effects remain unexplored. The study assessed whether meaningful work and reward from taking care of family benefitted physical health to the same degree as mental health. Participants were 181 Danes aged 49-51. Participants reported on working conditions, providing care to family, depressive symptoms, and perceived stress. Physical health was operationalized as a physiological dysregulation (e.g., hypertension, high levels of blood sugar and cholesterol, high body mass index). A multidimensional index of physiological dysregulation was created using parameters of cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune function. As expected, meaningful work and sense of reward from taking care of family members were associated with better mental health. However, in women, the very same factors were positively associated with higher physiological dysregulation. We conclude that work and family factors promoting psychological well-being may have physical health trade-offs, particularly in women.
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2.
Probiotics for the treatment of depressive symptoms: An anti-inflammatory mechanism?
Park, C, Brietzke, E, Rosenblat, JD, Musial, N, Zuckerman, H, Ragguett, RM, Pan, Z, Rong, C, Fus, D, McIntyre, RS
Brain, behavior, and immunity. 2018;:115-124
Abstract
During the past decade, there has been renewed interest in the relationship between brain-based disorders, the gut microbiota, and the possible beneficial effects of probiotics. Emerging evidence suggests that modifying the composition of the gut microbiota via probiotic supplementation may be a viable adjuvant treatment option for individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD). Convergent evidence indicates that persistent low-grade inflammatory activation is associated with the diagnosis of MDD as well as the severity of depressive symptoms and probability of treatment response. The objectives of this review are to (1) evaluate the evidence supporting an anti-inflammatory effect of probiotics and (2) describe immune system modulation as a potential mechanism for the therapeutic effects of probiotics in populations with MDD. A narrative review of studies investigating the effects of probiotics on systemic inflammation was conducted. Studies were identified using PubMed/Medline, Google Scholar, and clinicaltrials.gov (from inception to November 2017) using the following search terms (and/or variants): probiotic, inflammation, gut microbiota, and depression. The available evidence suggests that probiotics should be considered a promising adjuvant treatment to reduce the inflammatory activation commonly found in MDD. Several controversial points remain to be addressed including the role of leaky gut, the role of stress exposure, and the role of blood-brain-barrier permeability. Taken together, the results of this review suggest that probiotics may be a potentially beneficial, but insufficiently studied, antidepressant treatment intervention.
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3.
The effects of vitamin B on the immune/cytokine network and their involvement in depression.
Mikkelsen, K, Stojanovska, L, Prakash, M, Apostolopoulos, V
Maturitas. 2017;:58-71
Abstract
Increasing evidence indicates that there are various interactions between the nervous system and the immune system, and that the immune system plays an important role in the pathogenesis of depression. Pro-inflammatory cytokines (such as IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α) have been implicated in the neurobiological manifestations of depression. The immune/cytokine network has a powerful influence on the brain. In addition, deficiency in B vitamins has been linked to depression. Hence, greater knowledge of how immune cells change in the presence of vitamin B derivatives could improve understanding of how immune changes may correlate with depression, all of which are discussed herein.
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4.
Kynurenines: Tryptophan's metabolites in exercise, inflammation, and mental health.
Cervenka, I, Agudelo, LZ, Ruas, JL
Science (New York, N.Y.). 2017;(6349)
Abstract
Kynurenine metabolites are generated by tryptophan catabolism and regulate biological processes that include host-microbiome signaling, immune cell response, and neuronal excitability. Enzymes of the kynurenine pathway are expressed in different tissues and cell types throughout the body and are regulated by cues, including nutritional and inflammatory signals. As a consequence of this systemic metabolic integration, peripheral inflammation can contribute to accumulation of kynurenine in the brain, which has been associated with depression and schizophrenia. Conversely, kynurenine accumulation can be suppressed by activating kynurenine clearance in exercised skeletal muscle. The effect of exercise training on depression through modulation of the kynurenine pathway highlights an important mechanism of interorgan cross-talk mediated by these metabolites. Here, we discuss peripheral mechanisms of tryptophan-kynurenine metabolism and their effects on inflammatory, metabolic, oncologic, and psychiatric disorders.
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5.
Role of chronic stress and depression in periodontal diseases.
Warren, KR, Postolache, TT, Groer, ME, Pinjari, O, Kelly, DL, Reynolds, MA
Periodontology 2000. 2014;(1):127-38
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Abstract
An extensive body of experimental and clinical evidence documents the negative impact of chronic psychological stress and depression on the immune system and health. Chronic stress and depression can result in general dysregulation of the immune system, of both cellular and humoral pathways, which may contribute to pathogenic infection and concomitant periodontal tissue destruction. In general, the evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that stress can modify the host defense and progression of periodontal infections in patients susceptible to periodontitis. However, substantial evidence also indicates that these conditions can mediate risk for disease, including periodontitis, through changes in health-related behaviors, such as oral hygiene, smoking and diet. The unequivocal interpretation of studies has also been hampered, in part, by issues related to conceptualization of stress and depression, as well as commonly associated comorbidities, such as diabetes, that can modify the onset and progression of periodontal disease. In addition, stress and depression appear to fall into a spectrum, ranging from mild to severe, involving a complex interaction of genetic background, coping strategies and environment. Differences in the conceptualization of stress and depression are probably important in assessing associations with other biologic and clinical measures. Future studies are necessary to clarify the complex interactions of chronic stress and depression in periodontal diseases.
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6.
Depressive symptoms in hip fracture patients are associated with reduced monocyte superoxide production.
Duggal, NA, Beswetherick, A, Upton, J, Hampson, P, Phillips, AC, Lord, JM
Experimental gerontology. 2014;:27-34
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Abstract
Ageing is accompanied by reduced functioning of the immune system, termed immunesenescence which is associated with increased risk of infection and mortality. However the immune system does not operate in isolation and can be modified by many environmental factors, including stress. In this study we determined whether physical stress (hip fracture) and psychological distress (depressive symptoms) had additive effects upon the aged immune system, specifically on monocyte numbers and function. We assessed immune function in 101 hip fracture patients (81 female) 6weeks and 6months after injury and 43 healthy age matched controls (28 females). Thirty-eight of the hip fracture group were found to be depressed at the 6week sampling. No differences in peripheral monocyte count, distribution of monocyte subsets or TNFα secretion were observed between hip fracture patients and healthy controls. However we observed significantly reduced superoxide production in response to Escherichia coli in the monocytes of hip fracture patients who developed depressive symptoms compared with non-depressed hip fracture patients (p=0.002) or healthy controls (p=0.008) 6weeks after the fracture which remained decreased 6months following injury. In previous studies we have shown an effect of depression on neutrophil superoxide generation in hip fracture patients, suggesting a particular susceptibility of this aspect of immune cell function to psychological stress.
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7.
Zinc in depression: a meta-analysis.
Swardfager, W, Herrmann, N, Mazereeuw, G, Goldberger, K, Harimoto, T, Lanctôt, KL
Biological psychiatry. 2013;(12):872-8
Abstract
BACKGROUND Zinc is an essential micronutrient with diverse biological roles in cell growth, apoptosis and metabolism, and in the regulation of endocrine, immune, and neuronal functions implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. This study sought to quantitatively summarize the clinical data comparing peripheral blood zinc concentrations between depressed and nondepressed subjects. METHODS PubMed, Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and PsycINFO were searched for original peer-reviewed studies (to June 2012) measuring zinc concentrations in serum or plasma from depressed subjects (identified by either screening or clinical criteria) and nondepressed control subjects. Mean (±SD) zinc concentrations were extracted, combined quantitatively in random-effects meta-analysis, and summarized as a weighted mean difference (WMD). RESULTS Seventeen studies, measuring peripheral blood zinc concentrations in 1643 depressed and 804 control subjects, were included. Zinc concentrations were approximately -1.85 µmol/L lower in depressed subjects than control subjects (95% confidence interval: [CI]: -2.51 to -1.19 µmol/L, Z17 = 5.45, p < .00001). Heterogeneity was detected (χ(2)17 = 142.81, p < .00001, I(2) = 88%) and explored; in studies that quantified depressive symptoms, greater depression severity was associated with greater relative zinc deficiency (B = -1.503, t9 = -2.82, p = .026). Effect sizes were numerically larger in studies of inpatients (WMD -2.543, 95% CI: -3.522 to -1.564, Z9 = 5.09, p < .0001) versus community samples (WMD -.943, 95% CI: -1.563 to -.323, Z7 = 2.98, p = .003) and in studies of higher methodological quality (WMD -2.354, 95% CI: -2.901 to -1.807, Z7 = 8.43, p < .0001). CONCLUSIONS Depression is associated with a lower concentration of zinc in peripheral blood. The pathophysiological relationships between zinc status and depression, and the potential benefits of zinc supplementation in depressed patients, warrant further investigation.
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Immunological parameters in elderly women: correlations with aerobic power, muscle strength and mood state.
Raso, V, Natale, VM, Duarte, AJ, Greve, JM, Shephard, RJ
Brain, behavior, and immunity. 2012;(4):597-606
Abstract
PURPOSE Our objective was to relate immunological data for healthy but sedentary elderly women to aerobic power, strength, and mood state. METHODS We measured peak aerobic power and one-repetition maximum strength along with mood (depression and fatigue), quality of life and carbohydrate intake on 42 women aged 60-77 years. Standard immunological techniques determined natural killer cell count and cytotoxic activity (NKCA), proliferative responses to phytohemaglutinin and OKT(3), various lymphocyte subpopulations (CD3(+), CD3(-)CD19(+), CD56(+), CD4(+), CD8(+), CD56(dim) and CD56(bright)), and markers of activation, maturation, down-regulation and susceptibility to apoptosis (CD25(+), CD28(+), CD45RA(+), CD45RO(+), CD69(+), CD95(+), HLA-DR(+)). RESULTS Correlations of immune parameters with aerobic power and strength were very similar for absolute and relative immunological data. In the group as a whole, the only correlation with aerobic power was -0.35 (relative CD4(+)CD69(+) count), but in subjects with values <22.6 mL kg(-1)min(-1) correlations ranged from -0.57 (relative CD4(+)CD45RO(+)) to 0.92 (absolute CD56(dim)HLA-DR(+)). In terms of muscle strength, univariate correlation coefficients ranged from -0.34 (relative and absolute CD3(+)CD4(+)CD8(+)) to +0.48 (absolute CD3(+)HLA-DR(+)) and +0.50 (absolute CD8(+)CD45RA(+)CD45RO(+)). Neither NKCA nor lymphocyte proliferation were correlated with aerobic power or muscle strength. Although mood state and quality of life can sometimes be influenced by an individual's fitness level, our multivariate analyses suggested that depression, fatigue and quality of life were more important determinants of immune profile than our fitness measures. CONCLUSIONS Psychological changes associated with aging may have a substantial adverse effect upon the immune system, and immunological function may be enhanced more by addressing these issues than by focusing upon aerobic or resistance training.
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Plasma interleukin-6 is associated with psychological coronary risk factors: moderation by use of multivitamin supplements.
Suarez, EC
Brain, behavior, and immunity. 2003;(4):296-303
Abstract
The current study examined the relation of plasma IL-6 to anger, hostility, and severity of depressive symptoms as a function of multivitamin supplement use in 96 healthy, nonsmoking men (aged 18-46). Plasma IL-6 was independently associated with anger, hostility, and severity of depressive symptoms, as well as with a composite factor score, but only among nonusers. Among users, these associations were not significant. Multivitamin use was associated with lower plasma IL-6 levels, but only among men with high composite factor scores. Statistical adjustments for age, body mass index, resting diastolic blood pressure, fasting total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, alcohol use, exercise frequency, and educational level did not alter these results. These data suggest that plasma IL-6 is elevated among healthy men characterized by a propensity for anger, a hostile disposition, and greater severity of depressive symptoms and that multivitamin supplements could ameliorate plasma IL-6 levels among these men.