Association of serum cytokine concentrations with psychological symptoms in midlife women

ObjectiveThe purpose of the present study was to clarify the association of serum cytokine concentrations, determined using a multiplexed cytokine assay, with psychological symptoms in midlife women.MethodsFifty-three peri- and post-menopausal women with and without psychological symptoms in Greene's climacteric scale were enrolled in this study. Levels of 17 cytokines in serum samples were measured simultaneously using a multiplexed human cytokine assay.ResultsSerum interleukin (IL)-6 concentration in women with psychological symptoms (2.71 ± 047 pg/ml) was significantly (p = 0.009) higher than that in women without psychological symptoms (0.98 ± 0.18 pg/ml). Serum IL-8 concentration in women with psychological symptoms (33.4 ± 8.17 pg/ml) was also significantly (p = 0.022) higher than that in women without psychological symptoms (7.87 ± 1.64 pg/ml). In addition, serum IL-10 concentration in women with psychological symptoms (0.74 ± 0.26 pg/ml) was significantly (p = 0.048) higher than that in women without psychological symptoms (0.07 ± 0.04 pg/ml). Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in serum was detected only in women with psychological symptoms. Serum IL-2 concentration in women with psychological symptoms tended (p = 0.066) to be higher than that in women without psychological symptoms. No significant differences were found between levels of other cytokines in women with and without psychological symptoms.ConclusionPsychological stress manifested as climacteric symptoms in midlife women may be associated with increases in serum concentrations of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α.