title: Disturbed sleep in bipolar disorder is related to an elevation of IL-6 in peripheral monocytes.
abstract: Bipolar disorder is a severe psychiatric disorder that is associated with persistent changes in the quality, duration and architecture of sleep. Currently there is no unifying hypothesis explaining the alterations in sleep observable in patients with bipolar disorder and management is often difficult though vital. Sleep is modified by various cytokines including IL-6. Elevated levels of IL-6 are associated with a poorer quality of sleep and changes in the architecture of sleep similar to those observed in bipolar disorder. Therapeutic administration of Interferon causes elevations of intrathecal IL-6 concentrations and appears to provoke a deteriorating quality of sleep. The blockade of IL-6 with tocilizumab in rheumatoid arthritis is associated with improvements in the quality of sleep. Bipolar disorder is associated with elevated levels of IL-6 and in particular elevated levels of mRNA coding for IL-6 in peripheral monocytes. We propose that the changes observed in the sleep of patients with bipolar disorder are related to the elevation of IL-6 and that this correlates with an elevated expression of mRNA coding for IL-6 expression in peripheral monocytes.
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universitatsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany. Electronic address: philipp.ritter@uniklinikum-dresden.de.
authors.forename: Philipp S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Ritter
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kretschmer
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pfennig
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Soltmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D012333:RNA, Messenger
keywords: CNS; IFN; IL; NREM; REM; TGF; TNF; central nervous system; interferon; interleukin; non-rapid eye movement sleep; rapid eye movement sleep; transforming growth factor; tumor necrosis factor