Depression, medical illness, and interleukin-1beta in older cardiac patients.
OBJECTIVE
A model has been proposed in which atherosclerosis contributes to depression in later life by the effects of cytokines on central monoamine systems. We collected pilot data to test the hypothesis that interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) is associated with depression in a cardiac patient group.


METHODS
Thirty-seven subjects completed research evaluations that included depression diagnosis (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R), depressive symptom severity (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression), medical illness burden (Cumulative Illness Rating Scale), and serum IL-1beta level measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
Serum IL-1beta level was not significantly associated with depressive symptom severity or depression diagnosis, whether or not controlled for medical illness burden, age, and gender. IL-1beta level was significantly correlated with medical illness burden.


CONCLUSIONS
We did not confirm our study hypothesis. The correlation of IL-1beta level with medical illness burden likely reflects its release as part of the "sickness response" in a wide variety of disease states. Further research using a larger sample size and a non-cardiac comparison group is warranted.
Lyness
J M
JM
Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, New York 14642, USA. Jeffrey_Lyness@urmc.rochester.edu
Moynihan
J A
JA
Williford
D J
DJ
Cox
C
C
Caine
E D
ED
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D007375:Interleukin-1