Association of IL-6, hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis function, and depression in patients with cancer

Abstract

Background: Evidence suggests that cytokines (IL-6) and alteration of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis play a crucial role in the etiology of depression. Patients with cancer show elevated prevalence rates for depression. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the associations between these abnormalities and depression. Methods: Plasma concentrations of IL-6 and cortisol were measured in cancer patients with (N = 31) and without depression (N = 83). The relative diurnal variation of cortisol (cortisol VAR), expressed in percentage, was calculated. Results: There was a significant difference in median plasma concentration of IL-6 between the patients with depression and those without (18.7 vs 2.7 pg/mL; P