Correlation between cytokines and anxious-depressive symptoms in patients with fibromyalgia

Objective: To establish the influence of cytokines on anxious-depressive manifestations in fibromyalgia (FM) patients. Material and method: The study comprised 56 women (50.5 ± 7.8 years) with FM and 32 healthy female controls (39.65 ± 9.24 years). Psychiatric symptoms were analyzed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), while pain was assessed by means of a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Proinflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNFwere assayed in serum using the Luminex-xMAP method. The statistical analysis was carried out using the SSPS statistical package. Results: IL-8 values were significantly lower (p = .013) in patients than in controls. No differences were observed among IL-6, IL-10, and TNFlevels. When comparing cytokine levels with patient age, we observed a significant reduction in IL-6, IL-8, and TNFin older patients. The values of these cytokines showed no relationship to the anxious-depressive symptoms. Conclusions: In our series no differences in serum cytokines were seen between patients with FM and controls, with the exception of a reduction in IL-8 among patients with FM, and which could be attributed to the older age of these patients (AU)

Objetivo: Determinar la influencia de las citocinas en las manifestaciones ansioso-depresivas de pacientes con fibromialgia. Material y método: En el estudio se incluyó a 56 mujeres con fibromialgia (50,5 ± 7,8 años) y 32 mujeres sanas como controles (39,65 ± 9,24 años). Los síntomas psiquiátricos fueron analizados con la Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) y la Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), mientras que el dolor fue valorado por medio de una escala visual analógica. Las concentraciones de citocinas proinflamatorias de interleucina (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10 y factor de necrosis tumoral alfa (TNF) se midieron en suero mediante Luminex-xMAP. El análisis estadístico se realizó con el programa estadístico SSPS. Resultados: Las concentraciones de IL-8 fueron estadísticamente más bajas en pacientes que en controles (p = 0,013). No se observaron diferencias con respecto a las concentraciones de IL-6, IL-10 y TNF. Al comparar los valores de citocinas con la edad de los pacientes, se observó una reducción significativa de IL-6, IL-8 y TNFen los pacientes de mayor edad. No se observó relación entre los valores de estas citocinas y los síntomas ansioso-depresivos. Conclusiones: En nuestra serie no hay diferencias en las concentraciones séricas de citocinas entre pacientes con fibromialgia y controles, con la excepción de una reducción de IL-8 en los pacientes con fibromialgia que podría ser debida a la mayor edad de los pacientes con respecto a los controles (AU)

Correlation between cytokines and anxious-depressive symptoms in patients with fibromyalgia.

OBJECTIVE: To establish the influence of cytokines on anxious-depressive manifestations in fibromyalgia (FM) patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The study comprised 56 women (50.5±7.8 years) with FM and 32 healthy female controls (39.65±9.24 years). Psychiatric symptoms were analyzed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), while pain was assessed by means of a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Proinflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNFα were assayed in serum using the Luminex-xMAP method. The statistical analysis was carried out using the SSPS statistical package. RESULTS: IL-8 values were significantly lower (p=.013) in patients than in controls. No differences were observed among IL-6, IL-10, and TNFα levels. When comparing cytokine levels with patient age, we observed a significant reduction in IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα in older patients. The values of these cytokines showed no relationship to the anxious-depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: In our series no differences in serum cytokines were seen between patients with FM and controls, with the exception of a reduction in IL-8 among patients with FM, and which could be attributed to the older age of these patients.

Clinical variables and implications of the personality on the outcome of bipolar illness: a pilot study.

Outcome in bipolar patients is affected by comorbidity. Comorbid personality disorders are frequent and may complicate the course of bipolar illness. This pilot study examined a series of 40 euthymic bipolar patients (DSM-IV criteria) (bipolar I disorder 31, bipolar II disorder 9) to assess the effect of clinical variables and the influence of comorbid personality on the clinical course of bipolar illness. Bipolar patients with a diagnosis of comorbid personality disorder (n = 30) were compared with "pure" bipolar patients (n = 10) with regard to demographic, clinical, and course of illness variables. Comorbid personality disorder was diagnosed in 75% of patients according to ICD-10 criteria, with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder being the most frequent type. Sixty-three per cent of subjects had more than one comorbid personality disorder. Bipolar patients with and without comorbid personality disorder showed no significant differences regarding features of the bipolar illness, although the group with comorbid personality disorder showed a younger age at onset, more depressive episodes, and longer duration of bipolar illness. In subjects with comorbid personality disorders, the number of hospitalizations correlated significantly with depressive episodes and there was an inverse correlation between age at the first episode and duration of bipolar illness. These findings, however, should be interpreted taking into account the preliminary nature of a pilot study and the contamination of the sample with too many bipolar II patients.