The immediate and long-term impact of physical and/or emotional stress from motor vehicle accidents on circulating stress hormones and adipo-cytokines in children and adolescents.
Motor vehicle accidents (MVA) represent a complex physical and emotional stressor. Consequent short- and/or long-term alterations on the circulating concentrations of stress hormones and adipo-cytokines may have potential health implications. Fifty-nine children and adolescents, aged 7-18 years, were evaluated within 24 h after hospitalization for a MVA, and 1 and 6 months later; 40 children served as controls. We examined longitudinally the effects of physical injury-associated (PI) group vs. emotional-only stress (ES) group on circulating cortisol, catecholamine, interleukin (IL)-6, leptin and adiponectin concentrations. Within 24 h after the accident, serum cortisol concentration was greater than the controls in the PI but not the ES group (p = 0.02), while serum IL-6 concentration was greater in both trauma groups than in the controls (p = 0.004 for PI, p = 0.04 for ES). Adiponectin concentration was lower in the PI than the ES (p = 0.031) and the control (p = 0.019) groups and this was mainly attributed to females. The catecholamine and leptin concentrations were similar in the three groups. At the 1 and 6 month evaluations, cortisol and IL-6 concentrations in both trauma groups became normal. Adiponectin concentration in females, however, remained low 1 and 6 months after the accident (p = 0.03 for month six). In conclusion, circulating IL-6 concentration was influenced equally by the physical and emotional stress shortly after the trauma. Physical but not emotional-only stress lowered the circulating adiponectin concentrations in females and this effect persisted for at least 6 months.
Pervanidou
P
P
First Department of Pediatrics, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece. ppervanid@med.uoa.gr
Margeli
A
A
Lazaropoulou
Ch
Ch
Papassotiriou
I
I
Chrousos
G P
GP
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000523:psychology*; D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D000293:Adolescent; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*
C499918:ADIPOQ protein, human; D052242:Adiponectin; D002395:Catecholamines; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D020738:Leptin; D006854:Hydrocortisone