Higher interleukin-6 is associated with greater momentary social connection in close relationships in daily life.

Recent evidence has documented associations between higher levels of inflammation and social approach behaviors toward close others in laboratory-based tasks. Yet it is unknown if this translates to interactions with close others in daily life. Given that momentary experiences of social connection have both relational and health consequences, this is a critical gap in our knowledge. To address the association between inflammation and momentary social connection experiences in close relationships, 55 participants provided blood samples on two consecutive days, which were assayed for circulating levels of the inflammatory marker interleukin-6 (IL-6). After providing the first blood sample, participants received the annual influenza vaccine as a mild inflammatory challenge. Participants also reported on cognitive, affective, and behavioral indicators of social connection with a specific close other multiple times across the two study days. Results indicated that levels of IL-6 were positively associated with temporally-proximal indicators of momentary social connection with a close other. Specifically, higher levels of IL-6 were associated with greater feelings of comfort from the close other, greater desire to be near them, and higher reported relationship quality. Greater IL-6 reactivity to the vaccine was only associated with increased reported relationship quality. These data add to the existing literature suggesting that higher levels of IL-6 may motivate social approach toward a close other, extending evidence to now include momentary social connection experiences in daily life.

Pediatric Atypical Melanocytic Proliferations: Single-Site Retrospective Cohort Assessment of Treatment and Long-Term Follow-Up.

Atypical and malignant cutaneous tumors are understudied in the pediatric population, with limited data on long-term follow-up. This study examines pediatric (0-18 years) atypical melanocytic proliferations over a twenty-year period (January 2002-December2022) using the EPIC SlicerDicer at our institution. Over a twenty-year period, there were 55 cases of pediatric melanoma (53 patients). The median follow-up time was 8 years, 11 months. A proportion of 96% were treated with wide local excision (WLE), and 47% had a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) (35% positive rate). There were 101 atypical Spitz tumor cases (85% atypical Spitz tumors, 15% Spitz melanoma), with a median follow-up duration of 9 years. A proportion of 77% were treated with WLE (with one patient dying of metastatic disease). There were 10 cases of atypical melanocytic proliferations not otherwise specified, including 5 pigmented epithelioid melanocytomas (PEM), 4 deep-penetrating nevi, and 1 atypical cellular blue nevus. This study adds to the growing body of knowledge on pediatric atypical cutaneous melanocytic proliferations, aligning with many described characteristics such as disease location and overall survival rates, with distinct exceptions (higher melanoma positive SLNB rate, lower atypical Spitz tumor WLE rate, and a case of fatal metastatic atypical Spitz tumor).

Onychocytic Matricoma Presenting as Longitudinal Melanonychia in a Skin of Color Patient.

Introduction: Onychocytic matricoma (OCM) is a benign acanthoma of the nail matrix that presents with longitudinal melanonychia and nail thickening. Only 18 previously reported cases of OCM are in the literature since it was first described in 2012. Case Presentation: The purpose of this case report was to report a unique presentation of OCM in the toenail of a Black patient as well as to review the clinical presentation, histologic features, and management of this rare entity. Previously described cases presented on the fingernails and were predominantly in white males. Conclusion: OCM is a benign entity that may mimic a nail unit melanoma or squamous cell carcinoma especially when pachyonychia is present. Despite some clinical clues to suggest a diagnosis of OCM, a nail matrix biopsy is often required to rule out malignancy.

Support-Giving Is Associated With Lower Systemic Inflammation.

BACKGROUND: Support-giving has emerged as a health-relevant social behavior, such that giving more support is associated with better physical health. However, biological mechanisms by which support-giving and health are linked remain unclear. Whether support-giving uniquely relates to health relative to other psychosocial factors is also an open research question. PURPOSE: Two studies test the hypothesis that support-giving is uniquely (over-and-above other psychosocial factors) related to lower systemic inflammation, a biological correlate of health. METHODS: Cross-sectional associations of support-giving with markers of systemic inflammation (i.e., interleukin-6 [IL-6], C-reactive protein [CRP]) were examined in two independent samples of midlife adults (Study 1, n = 746; Study 2, n = 350). RESULTS: Consistent with hypotheses, giving to more social targets (to family and friends, and also volunteering for various causes), but not receiving support from similar targets, was associated with lower IL-6. In conceptual replication and extension with a different measure of support-giving, higher frequency of support-giving behavior was associated with lower IL-6, even after adjusting for social network size and individual differences in social desirability. There were no associations between support-giving and CRP in either sample. CONCLUSIONS: Future research needs to establish causality and directly test mechanistic pathways, but together, findings reaffirm the health-relevance of support-giving behavior and shed light on a promising biological mechanism by which such effects may occur.

Support-giving behavior and health are linked such that more support-giving is related to better health and longevity for the person giving. How such a link occurs, however, is an open question for research. Two cross-sectional studies test the hypothesis that support-giving behavior relates to lower systemic inflammation, a potential biological pathway linking supportive behavior with health. Results of Study 1 show that giving to more social targets (to family and friends, and also volunteering) is associated with lower inflammation. Receiving support was not associated with inflammation. In a replication and extension, Study 2 shows that a greater frequency of giving is also related to lower systemic inflammation, over and above the size of one's social network and individual differences in reporting socially desirable responses. Although more research is needed to establish whether support-giving causes systemic inflammation to change, the current findings highlight a promising pathway by which support-giving behavior benefits health.

Theoretically Guided Iterative Design of the Sense2Quit App for Tobacco Cessation in Persons Living with HIV.

The use of mobile health (mHealth technology) can be an effective intervention when considering chronic illnesses. Qualitative research methods were used to identify specific content and features for a mobile app for smoking cessation amongst people living with HIV (PWH). We conducted five focus group sessions followed by two Design Sessions with PWH who were or are currently chronic cigarette smokers. The first five groups focused on the perceived barriers and facilitators to smoking cessation amongst PWH. The two Design Sessions leveraged the findings from the focus group sessions and were used to determine the optimal features and user interface of a mobile app to support smoking cessation amongst PWH. Thematic analysis was conducted using the Health Belief Model and Fogg's Functional Triad. Seven themes emerged from our focus group sessions: history of smoking, triggers, consequences of quitting smoking, motivation to quit, messages to help quit, quitting strategies, and mental health-related challenges. Functional details of the app were identified during the Design Sessions and used to build a functional prototype.

A Smoking Cessation Mobile App for Persons Living With HIV: Preliminary Efficacy and Feasibility Study.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of smoking in the United States general population has gradually declined to the lowest rate ever recorded; however, this has not been true for persons with HIV. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a pilot test to assess the feasibility and efficacy of the Lumme Quit Smoking mobile app and smartwatch combination with sensing capabilities to improve smoking cessation in persons with HIV. METHODS: A total of 40 participants were enrolled in the study and randomly assigned 1:1 to the control arm, which received an 8-week supply of nicotine replacement therapy, a 30-minute smoking cessation counseling session, and weekly check-in calls with study staff, or to the intervention arm, which additionally received the Lumme Quit Smoking app and smartwatch. RESULTS: Of the 40 participants enrolled, 37 completed the follow-up study assessments and 16 used the app every day during the 56-day period. During the 6-month recruitment and enrollment period, 122 people were screened for eligibility, with 67.2% (82/122) deemed ineligible. Smoking criteria and incompatible tech were the major reasons for ineligibility. There was no difference in the proportion of 7-day point prevalence abstinence by study arm and no significant decrease in exhaled carbon monoxide for the intervention and control arms separately. However, the average exhaled carbon monoxide decreased over time when analyzing both arms together (P=.02). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest excellent feasibility and acceptability of using a smoking sensor app among this smoking population. The knowledge gained from this research will enable the scientific community, clinicians, and community stakeholders to improve tobacco cessation outcomes for persons with HIV. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04808609; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04808609.

Inflammatory reactivity to the influenza vaccine is associated with changes in automatic social behavior.

Recent evidence suggests differential patterns of social behavior following an inflammatory challenge, such that increases in inflammation may not uniformly lead to social withdrawal. Indeed, increases in inflammation have been associated with enhanced self-reported motivation to approach a specific close other, and greater neural sensitivity to positive social cues. However, no known studies have examined the association between inflammation in response to an inflammatory challenge and social behavior in humans, nor has past research examined specifically how approach and withdrawal behavior may differ based on whether the target is a close other or stranger. To address this, 31 participants (ages 18-24) received the influenza vaccine to elicit a low-grade inflammatory response. The morning before and approximately 24 h after the vaccine, participants provided a blood sample and completed a computer task assessing automatic (implicit) approach and withdrawal behavior toward a social support figure and strangers. Greater increases in the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) in response to the vaccine were associated with an increase in accuracy in avoiding strangers and a decrease in accuracy in approaching them. Increases in IL-6 were also associated with a decrease in reaction time to approach a support figure, but only when controlling for baseline IL-6 levels. There were no associations between change in IL-6 and changes in self-reported motivation to engage in social behavior with either close others, or strangers. Together, these findings reveal that increases in inflammation following the influenza vaccine are associated with automatic social behavior, especially behavior suggesting avoidance of unfamiliar social targets and ease in approaching a support figure. These data add to the growing literature suggesting that the association between inflammation and social behavior includes both social withdrawal and social approach, depending on the specific target.

Systemic inflammation is associated with differential neural reactivity and connectivity to affective images.

Systemic inflammation is increasingly appreciated as a predictor of health and well-being. Further, inflammation has been shown to influence and be influenced by affective experiences. Although prior work has substantiated associations between inflammatory and affective processes, fewer studies have investigated the neurobiological correlates that underlie links between systemic, low-grade inflammation and affective reactivity. Thus, the current study examined whether markers of systemic inflammation (i.e. interleukin-6, C-reactive protein) are associated with differential patterns of neural activation and connectivity in corticolimbic regions in response to affective images. We investigated this question in a sample of 66 adults (44 women, M age = 54.98 years, range = 35-76) from the Midlife in the United States study. Higher levels of inflammation were associated with lower activity in limbic regions (i.e. amygdala, hippocampus, anterior insula, temporal pole) when viewing positive (vs neutral) images. Higher levels of inflammation were also associated with greater connectivity between the hippocampus and the medial prefrontal cortex in response to positive images. Inflammatory markers were not associated with significant differences in activation or connectivity to negative images. These findings highlight the utility of health neuroscience approaches in demonstrating that physiological processes such as inflammation are related to how our brains respond to affective information.