title: Source-specific social support and circulating inflammatory markers among white-collar employees.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite known beneficial effects of social support on cardiovascular health, the pathway through which sources of support (supervisor, coworkers, family/friends) influence inflammatory markers is not completely understood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the independent and moderating associations between social support and inflammatory markers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 137 male white-collar employees underwent a blood draw for measurement of high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), monocyte and leukocyte counts, and completed a questionnaire on social support.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariable linear regression analyses controlling for covariates revealed that supervisor support was inversely associated with IL-6 (β = -0.24, p < 0.01) while coworker support was marginally associated with TNF-α (β = -0.16, p < 0.10). Support from family/friends was not associated with inflammatory markers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Social support from the immediate supervisor may be a potential mechanism through which social support exerts beneficial effects on inflammatory markers in working men.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1-1, Iseigaoka, Yahata-nishi-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, 807-8555, Japan, nakataa@health.uoeh-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Akinori
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakata
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Irie
authors.forename: Masaya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012944:Social Support; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002097:C-Reactive Protein