Xuejie Chen1, Danielle Gianferante1, Luke Hanlin1, Alexander Fiksdal1, Juliana G Breines1, Myriam V Thoma2, Nicolas Rohleder3. 1. Department of Psychology and Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, United States. 2. Department of Psychology and Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, United States; Division of Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland. 3. Department of Psychology and Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, United States; Chair of Health Psychology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany. Electronic address: nicolas.rohleder@fau.de.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Inflammation is drawing attention as pathway between psychosocial stress and health, and basal HPA axis activity has been suggested to exert a consistent regulatory influence on peripheral inflammation. Here we studied the relationship between basal HPA axis activity and inflammatory and HPA axis acute stress reactivity. METHODS: We recruited 48 healthy individuals and collected saliva for diurnal cortisol sampling at 6 points. Participants were previously exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) on two consecutive days. Plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) and salivary cortisol reactivity to acute stress were measured, and their relationships with basal HPA axis activity were analyzed. RESULTS: Steeper cortisol awakening response (CAR) linear increase was related with stronger cortisol stress reactivity (γ=0.015; p=0.042) and marginally significantly with greater habituation (γ=0.01; p=0.066). Greater curvilinearity of CAR was related with stronger cortisol reactivity (γ=-0.014; p=0.021) and greater cortisol habituation (γ=-0.011; p=0.006). Steeper daily linear decline was related with significant or marginally significantly stronger cortisol and IL-6 reactivity (cortisol: γ=-0.0004; p=0.06; IL-6: γ=-0.028; p=0.031) and greater habituation (cortisol: γ=-0.002; p=0.009, IL-6: γ=-0.015; p=0.033). Greater curvilinearity of daily decline was related with stronger IL-6 reactivity (γ=0.002; p=0.024) and also greater cortisol and IL-6 habituation (cortisol: γ=0.00009; p=0.03, IL-6: γ=0.001; p=0.024). CONCLUSIONS: Patterns of basal HPA axis activity that are related with healthier outcomes were found to be related with stronger initial cortisol and IL-6 reactivity and greater habituation. This is an important step in understanding the long-term health implications of acute stress responsiveness, and future studies should employ longitudinal designs to identify the direction of these relationships.
INTRODUCTION:Inflammation is drawing attention as pathway between psychosocial stress and health, and basal HPA axis activity has been suggested to exert a consistent regulatory influence on peripheral inflammation. Here we studied the relationship between basal HPA axis activity and inflammatory and HPA axis acute stress reactivity. METHODS: We recruited 48 healthy individuals and collected saliva for diurnal cortisol sampling at 6 points. Participants were previously exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) on two consecutive days. Plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) and salivary cortisol reactivity to acute stress were measured, and their relationships with basal HPA axis activity were analyzed. RESULTS: Steeper cortisol awakening response (CAR) linear increase was related with stronger cortisol stress reactivity (γ=0.015; p=0.042) and marginally significantly with greater habituation (γ=0.01; p=0.066). Greater curvilinearity of CAR was related with stronger cortisol reactivity (γ=-0.014; p=0.021) and greater cortisol habituation (γ=-0.011; p=0.006). Steeper daily linear decline was related with significant or marginally significantly stronger cortisol and IL-6 reactivity (cortisol: γ=-0.0004; p=0.06; IL-6: γ=-0.028; p=0.031) and greater habituation (cortisol: γ=-0.002; p=0.009, IL-6: γ=-0.015; p=0.033). Greater curvilinearity of daily decline was related with stronger IL-6 reactivity (γ=0.002; p=0.024) and also greater cortisol and IL-6 habituation (cortisol: γ=0.00009; p=0.03, IL-6: γ=0.001; p=0.024). CONCLUSIONS: Patterns of basal HPA axis activity that are related with healthier outcomes were found to be related with stronger initial cortisol and IL-6 reactivity and greater habituation. This is an important step in understanding the long-term health implications of acute stress responsiveness, and future studies should employ longitudinal designs to identify the direction of these relationships.
Authors: Brigitte M Kudielka; Roland von Känel; Daniel Preckel; Lilian Zgraggen; Katharina Mischler; Joachim E Fischer Journal: Biol Psychol Date: 2005-10-19 Impact factor: 3.251
Authors: Roland von Känel; Brigitte M Kudielka; Daniel Preckel; Dirk Hanebuth; Joachim E Fischer Journal: Brain Behav Immun Date: 2006-01 Impact factor: 7.217
Authors: Sandra E Sephton; Elizabeth Lush; Eric A Dedert; Andrea R Floyd; Whitney N Rebholz; Firdaus S Dhabhar; David Spiegel; Paul Salmon Journal: Brain Behav Immun Date: 2012-08-03 Impact factor: 7.217
Authors: Samantha J Scarola; Jose R Perdomo Trejo; Megan E Granger; Kimberly M Gerecke; Massimo Bardi Journal: Comp Med Date: 2019-02-06 Impact factor: 0.982
Authors: Stefan Piantella; William T O'Brien; Matthew W Hale; Paul Maruff; Stuart J McDonald; Bradley J Wright Journal: Compr Psychoneuroendocrinol Date: 2022-04-01
Authors: Chelsea Sawyers; Christina Sheerin; Meridith Eastman; Jason Burchett; Paul Howell; Gretchen Neigh; Ananda B Amstadter; John Hettema; Roxann Roberson-Nay Journal: Psychoneuroendocrinology Date: 2021-03-08 Impact factor: 4.905
Authors: Anthony S Zannas; Jennifer L Gordon; Alan L Hinderliter; Susan S Girdler; David R Rubinow Journal: J Clin Endocrinol Metab Date: 2020-10-01 Impact factor: 5.958
Authors: Lauren C Brown; Amy R Murphy; Chloe S Lalonde; Preeti D Subhedar; Andrew H Miller; Jennifer S Stevens Journal: Cancer Date: 2020-05-06 Impact factor: 6.921