Inflammation as a psychophysiological biomarker in chronic psychosocial stress

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.12.012

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

Volume 35, Issue 1, September 2010, Pages 115-121

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.12.012 Get rights and content

Abstract

The measurement of inflammation by biomarkers not only documents clinically relevant infections but also offers an important tool to pin point potentially harmful effects of chronic psychosocial stressors. This article focuses firstly on basic biology of inflammation and lists main biomarkers currently used in psycho-physiologic research. In the second part, the effects of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and the autonomic nervous system as pathways modulating stress-related inflammation are discussed. Furthermore, current evidence of how chronic psychosocial stressors are related to alterations in inflammatory activity is presented. In summary, job stress, low socioeconomic status, childhood adversities as well as life events, caregiver stress, and loneliness were all shown to exert effects on immunologic activity.

Section snippets

Basic biology of inflammation and outline of the review

Inflammation is a manifestation of biological processes in which the immune system mounts a response to pathogenic invasion or physical damage. Clinically, inflammation accompanies redness, swelling, rising temperature, and pain. These clinical signs are reflective of increased blood flow and capillary permeability, release of inflammatory mediators, and leukocyte migration to the site of infection/injury. These processes are well orchestrated among leukocytes, platelets, endothelial cells and

The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis

Following psychological stress, the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus synthesizes and secretes corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) into the pituitary portal vein system. CRH stimulates the pituitary to release adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) into the systemic circulation which prompts the secretion of glucocorticoids (GCs), predominantly cortisol, from the adrenal cortex. GC modulate physiologic, metabolic, and immunologic processes to restore homeostasis (Chrousos and Gold, 1992).

Definition of chronic psychosocial stress

A chronic psychosocial stressor normally pervades one's life and shows stability followed by various adaptations. These adaptations include one's behavior, social role, and individual psycho-physiologic reactivity (Chida and Hamer, 2008). To present the evidence of chronic psychosocial stress effects on inflammation the literature on job stress/burnout, low socioeconomic status, childhood adversity and life event stress, caregiver stress, and loneliness is presented.

Job stress and burnout

The burnout syndrome

Acknowledgment

We would like to thank Annette Kocher for editorial support.

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ReviewInflammation as a psychophysiological biomarker in chronic psychosocial stress

Abstract

Section snippets

Basic biology of inflammation and outline of the review

The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis

Definition of chronic psychosocial stress

Job stress and burnout

Acknowledgment

Brain Behav. Immun.

Biol. Psychol.

Brain Behav. Immun.

Brain Behav. Immun.

Adv. Clin. Chem.

Neurochem. Int.

Trends Endocrinol. Metab.

Ann. Epidemiol.

Psychoneuroendocrinology

J. Psychosom. Res.

J. Psychosom. Res.

Am. J. Cardiol.

Gastroenterology

Biol. Psychol.

Am. J. Cardiol.

Mech. Ageing Dev.

J. Psychosom. Res.

Biol. Psychiatry

Biol. Psychiatry

Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry

Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.

Immunol. Today

Brain Behav. Immun.

Atherosclerosis

Biol. Psychol.

J. Allergy Clin. Immunol.

Psychoneuroendocrinology

J. Psychosom. Res.

Day-to-day dynamics of experience—cortisol associations in a population-based sample of older adults

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

Molecular mechanisms of corticosteroid actions

Monaldi Arch. Chest Dis.

Transcription factor NF-κB: a sensor for smoke and stress signals

Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci.

Gene-environment interactions predict cortisol responses after acute stress: Implications for the etiology of depression

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Blood lymphocyte beta-adrenergic receptors in multiple sclerosis

Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci.

Combination of caregiving stress and hormone replacement therapy is associated with prolonged platelet activation to acute stress among postmenopausal women

Psychosom. Med.

Anti-inflammatory actions of glucocorticoids: molecular mechanisms

Clin. Sci. (Lond.)

A mechanism converting psychosocial stress into mononuclear cell activation

PNAS

Vagus nerve stimulation attenuates the systemic inflammatory response to endotoxin

Nature

The immunological and genetic basis of inflammatory bowel disease

Nat. Rev. Immunol.

Fatigue and proinflammatory cytokine activity in breast cancer survivors

Psychosom. Med.

Altered responsiveness of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic adrenomedullary system to stress in patients with atopic dermatitis

J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.

Influence of life stress on depression: moderation by a polymorphism in the 5-HTT gene

Science

Chronic psychosocial factors and acute physiological responses to laboratory-induced stress in healthy populations: a quantitative review of 30 years of investigations

Psychol. Bull.

The concepts of stress and stress system disorders. Overview of physical and behavioral homeostasis

JAMA

Childhood maltreatment predicts adult inflammation in a life-course study

PNAS

Corticosteroids enhance the capacity of macrophages to induce Th2 cytokine synthesis in CD4+ lymphocytes by inhibiting IL-12 production

J. Immunol.

A human glucocorticoid receptor gene variant that increases the stability of the glucocorticoid receptor beta-isoform mRNA is associated with rheumatoid arthritis

J. Rheumatol.

Do biomarkers of stress mediate the relation between socioeconomic status and health?

J. Epidemiol. Community Health

Review
Inflammation as a psychophysiological biomarker in chronic psychosocial stress