title: Neuroimmunological function in parents of children suffering from cancer.
abstract: The main aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between depression and immunological function in parents of children with cancer. Thirty-two parents participated in the study. The parents completed the following assessments: a list of major stressful events in a Hemato-Oncology ward, beck depression inventory II (BDI-II), posttraumatic diagnostic scale (PDS) and quality of life (QOL) questionnaire. A single blood sample was drawn from parents for evaluation of cortisol levels and lymphocyte cell subgroups. The parents were divided into two groups: Those who suffered from depression as defined by BDI-II cutoff score of 14 (depressed parents (DP), n = 7), and non-depressed parents (non-DP, n = 25). In parents of children with cancer the DP group had statistically significantly higher stressful event scores, dysfunction scores (from the PDS) and CD8 percentage compared to the non-DP group. QOL, CD4 percentage and CD4/CD8 ratio were significantly lower in the DP group. The BDI scores significantly positively correlated with events and dysfunctional scores, and significantly negatively correlated with QOL scores and CD4/CD8 ratio. High psychiatric morbidity was found in parents of children with cancer. The findings of altered immunity in DP provide further evidence that the physiological response to stress and depression may alter immune functions.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, 49202, Petah Tikva, Israel, nbenaroya@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Noa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Benaroya-Milshtein
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Apter
authors.forename: Isaac
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yaniv
authors.forename: Oded
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yuval
authors.forename: Boaz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.forename: Yael
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bengal
authors.forename: Yona
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kodman
authors.forename: Eliya
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shemer
authors.forename: Chaim Gideon
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Pick
authors.forename: Ilana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Buchval
authors.forename: Avi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valevski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D006854:Hydrocortisone