title: Elevated levels of serum interleukin-1 beta in combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder.
abstract: Levels of serum interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) were assessed in 19 male patients with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in comparison to 19 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. Serum IL-1 beta levels (but not sIL-2R) were significantly higher (p < .001) in the PTSD patients than in the controls. IL-1 beta levels did not correlate with cortisol levels, severity of PTSD, anxiety, depressive symptoms, or alexithymia score; however, they did correlate significantly (r = .54, p < .005) with the duration of PTSD symptoms. It is possible that desensitization of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in chronic PTSD patients counteracts the stimulatory effect of IL-1 beta on cortisol secretion.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit, Ness Ziona Mental Health Center, Israel.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Spivak
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shohat
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mester
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Avraham
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gil-Ad
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bleich
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valevski
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weizman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D006854:Hydrocortisone