title: Depression and IL-6 blood plasma concentrations in advanced cancer patients.
abstract: The authors explored the relationship between depression and interleukin-6 (IL-6) blood plasma concentrations among advanced-stage cancer patients. Seventy-three patients with advanced cancer were rated on depression with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and gave blood to be assayed for blood plasma concentration of IL-6. Initial results found no correlation between depression and IL-6. Subsequent analyses found that among those whose blood was drawn within 48 hours of interview completion, depression and IL-6 were highly correlated. Future studies focusing on the relationship between immune functioning and depression must be particularly vigilant regarding methodological issues.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Columbia University/NYSPI, 1051 Riverside Dr., New York, NY 10032, USA. jacobsoc@childpsych.columbia.edu
authors.forename: Colleen M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rosenfeld
authors.forename: Hayley
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pessin
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Breitbart
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000276:immunology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000523:psychology; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000523:psychology; D012016:Reference Values; D013223:Statistics as Topic
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6