title: Circulating endocannabinoids during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) is a stressful and rigorous medical procedure involving significant emotional and immune challenges. The endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling system is involved in regulation of both the immune system and emotional reactivity, yet little is known about its function during HCT. We investigated the role of the eCB signaling system in a group of HCT recipients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 19 HCT recipients were enrolled and provided psychosocial data and blood samples at three peri-transplant time points: prior to transplant, hospital discharge, and approximately 100 days post-transplant. Psychosocial factors, inflammatory molecules, and the eCBs were determined and assessed for changes over this period and association with each other.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HCT recipients demonstrated significant changes over the peri- transplant period in inflammatory molecules and psychosocial functioning, but not in circulating concentrations of the eCBs. Associations among these variables were most likely to be present pre-transplant and least likely to be present immediately post-transplant, with depressive symptoms and inflammation most significantly associated. The eCB 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) was significantly, positively associated with both interleukin (IL)-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP) and negatively associated with depressive symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The eCB signaling system may have alternative sources and regulatory mechanisms in addition to the immune system. Given the significant associations with inflammatory molecules and depressive symptoms in the peri- transplant period, it is important to better understand this system and its potential implications in the setting of complex and stressful medical procedures such as HCT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin.
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.affiliation: Division of Biostatistics, Institute for Health and Society, Medical College of Wisconsin.
authors.forename: Aniko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szabo
authors.affiliation: Division of Biostatistics, Institute for Health and Society, Medical College of Wisconsin.
authors.forename: Shi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Rochester Center for Mind-Body Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center.
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lyness
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester Medical Center ; Medical Humanities, University of Rochester Medical Center.
authors.forename: Olle Jane Z
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Sahler
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center.
authors.forename: Jane L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Liesveld
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Pathology, Medical College of Wisconsin.
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sander
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin.
authors.forename: J Douglas
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Center and Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin.
authors.forename: Cecilia J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hillard
authors.affiliation: Rochester Center for Mind-Body Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center.
authors.forename: Jan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Moynihan
keywords: 2- AG; depressive symptoms; endocannabinoids; pro-inflammatory molecules; psychosocial factors