Effects of chronic stress and interleukin-10 gene polymorphisms on antibody response to tetanus vaccine in family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effects of psychological stress on the antibody response to tetanus vaccine adjusting for cytokine gene polymorphisms and other nongenetic factors in caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).


METHODS
A family-based follow-up study was conducted in 119 spouses and offspring of community-dwelling patients with AD. Psychological stress was measured by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale at baseline and 1 month after the vaccination. Nutritional status, health behaviors, comorbidity, and stress-buffering factors were assessed by self-administered questionnaires, 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) from six selected cytokines genotyped, and anti-tetanus toxoid immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations tested using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The effects of stress and other potential confounders were assessed by mixed models that account for familial correlations.


RESULTS
The baseline PSS score, the baseline CES-D score, the interleukin-10-1082 A>G SNP GG genotype, and the baseline anti-tetanus IgG were inversely associated with antibody fold increase.


CONCLUSIONS
Both psychological stress and cytokine gene polymorphisms affected antibody fold increase. The study provided additional support for the detrimental effects of psychological stress on the antibody response to tetanus vaccine.
Li
Jian
J
Department of Epidemiology and International Health, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA. lijianx@lilly.com
Cowden
Linda G
LG
King
Janice D
JD
Briles
David A
DA
Schroeder
Harry W
HW
Stevens
Alan B
AB
Perry
Rodney T
RT
Chen
Zuomin
Z
Simmons
Micah S
MS
Wiener
Howard W
HW
Tiwari
Hemant K
HK
Harrell
Lindy E
LE
Go
Rodney C P
RC
D000368:Aged; D000407:Alabama; D000544:Alzheimer Disease; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000235:genetics; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000276:immunology*; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000276:immunology*; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics
D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid; D016753:Interleukin-10