title: Attachment anxiety is related to Epstein-Barr virus latency.
abstract: Attachment theory provides a framework for understanding individual differences in chronic interpersonal stress. Attachment anxiety, a type of relationship insecurity characterized by worry about rejection and abandonment, is a chronic interpersonal stressor. Stress impacts cellular immunity, including herpesvirus reactivation. We investigated whether attachment anxiety was related to the expression of a latent herpesvirus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), when individuals were being tested for breast or colon cancer and approximately 1 year later. Participants (N=183) completed a standard attachment questionnaire and provided blood to assess EBV viral capsid antigen (VCA) IgG antibody titers. Individuals with more attachment anxiety had higher EBV VCA IgG antibody titers than those with less attachment anxiety. The strength of the association between attachment anxiety and antibody titers was the same at both assessments. This study is the first to show an association between latent herpesvirus reactivation and attachment anxiety. Because elevated herpesvirus antibody titers reflect poorer cellular immune system control over the latent virus, these data suggest that high attachment anxiety is associated with cellular immune dysregulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Disparities, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, United States. Electronic address: CPFagundes@mdanderson.org.
authors.forename: Christopher P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Fagundes
authors.affiliation: The Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, United States.
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Jaremka
authors.affiliation: The Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, United States.
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Glaser
authors.affiliation: Office of Cancer Survivorship, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, United States.
authors.forename: Catherine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Alfano
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, United States.
authors.forename: Stephen P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Povoski
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, United States.
authors.forename: Adele M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lipari
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, United States.
authors.forename: Doreen M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Agnese
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, United States.
authors.forename: Lisa D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Yee
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, United States; Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology, and Medical Genetics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, United States.
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Carson
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, United States.
authors.forename: William B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Farrar
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, The Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, United States; Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology, and Medical Genetics, The Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, United States; The Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Department of Psychiatry, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, United States.
authors.forename: William B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Malarkey
authors.affiliation: The Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, United States.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: The Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, United States; The Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Department of Psychiatry, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, United States.
authors.forename: Janice K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kiecolt-Glaser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000821:virology; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000821:virology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009769:Object Attachment; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014775:Virus Activation / Q000276:immunology; D017735:Virus Latency / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins; C041788:Epstein-Barr viral capsid antigen; D007074:Immunoglobulin G
keywords: Attachment anxiety; Attachment theory; Close relationships; Herpesvirus; Immune system; Psychoneuroimmunology; Stress