Relationship between loneliness and Proangiogenic Cytokines in newly diagnosed tumors of colon and rectum
Relationship between loneliness and Proangiogenic Cytokines in newly diagnosed tumors of colon and rectum
Objective: to investigate the association of serum levels of proangiogenic cytokines with different indices of social support and loneliness by measuring the levels of expression of two important proangiogenic cytokines, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and interleukin-6 in tumors of colon and rectum. Lack of social support has been prospectively associated with cancer progression.
Methods: fifty-one newly diagnosed patients with colorectal tumors (mean age, 68.3 years) completed two measures of loneliness 1 to 2 days before their surgical treatment. The first was an explicit self-report questionnaire, which tapped into negative feelings as a result of low social support. The second was a standardized computer-based task, which measured loneliness implicitly. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed on tumor tissues post surgery to determine the expression of cytokines.
Results: logistic regression showed that higher levels of implicit loneliness independently predicted stronger expression of VEGF, controlling for Dukes stage and explicit loneliness, both of which were nonsignificant predictors. No significant relationships were found between the loneliness measures and interleukin-6.
Conclusions: the results of this study suggest VEGF to be an angiogenic mechanism through which loneliness may lead to worse cancer-related outcomes. Implications are discussed in terms of devising targeted psychosocial and immunotherapeutic interventions for cancer patients with low social support.
tumor, vascular endothelial growth factor, interleukin-6, social support, loneliness
912-916
Nausheen, Bina
947da4a2-c233-45b1-b7b7-eca98a19137d
Carr, Norman J.
810e44dc-90d5-496c-85b6-6b2fa1c07dd7
Peveler, Robert C.
93198224-78d9-4c1f-9c07-fdecfa69cf96
Moss-Morris, Rona
a502f58a-d319-49a6-8aea-9dde4efc871e
Verrill, Clare
aebaa0d4-fb62-4bf6-97ab-5f9bb23cf9a3
Robbins, Elizabeth
36396cb6-1fab-4bd4-b28b-bd679d02769f
Nugent, Karen P.
79fcb89d-6ff2-47b8-ac2c-2afb24954456
Baker, Alex M.
80b9d542-11b8-48f7-95cd-e87e2398b9d8
Judd, Mary
9ee50e4d-7a74-4b1c-9a7c-98f29e301eed
Gidron, Yori
56310d95-dcfd-4178-95f1-1b1049f4c1f7
17 November 2010
Nausheen, Bina
947da4a2-c233-45b1-b7b7-eca98a19137d
Carr, Norman J.
810e44dc-90d5-496c-85b6-6b2fa1c07dd7
Peveler, Robert C.
93198224-78d9-4c1f-9c07-fdecfa69cf96
Moss-Morris, Rona
a502f58a-d319-49a6-8aea-9dde4efc871e
Verrill, Clare
aebaa0d4-fb62-4bf6-97ab-5f9bb23cf9a3
Robbins, Elizabeth
36396cb6-1fab-4bd4-b28b-bd679d02769f
Nugent, Karen P.
79fcb89d-6ff2-47b8-ac2c-2afb24954456
Baker, Alex M.
80b9d542-11b8-48f7-95cd-e87e2398b9d8
Judd, Mary
9ee50e4d-7a74-4b1c-9a7c-98f29e301eed
Gidron, Yori
56310d95-dcfd-4178-95f1-1b1049f4c1f7
Nausheen, Bina, Carr, Norman J., Peveler, Robert C., Moss-Morris, Rona, Verrill, Clare, Robbins, Elizabeth, Nugent, Karen P., Baker, Alex M., Judd, Mary and Gidron, Yori
(2010)
Relationship between loneliness and Proangiogenic Cytokines in newly diagnosed tumors of colon and rectum.
Psychosomatic Medicine, 72 (9), .
(doi:10.1097/PSY.0b013e3181f0bc1c).
(PMID:20716709)
Abstract
Objective: to investigate the association of serum levels of proangiogenic cytokines with different indices of social support and loneliness by measuring the levels of expression of two important proangiogenic cytokines, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and interleukin-6 in tumors of colon and rectum. Lack of social support has been prospectively associated with cancer progression.
Methods: fifty-one newly diagnosed patients with colorectal tumors (mean age, 68.3 years) completed two measures of loneliness 1 to 2 days before their surgical treatment. The first was an explicit self-report questionnaire, which tapped into negative feelings as a result of low social support. The second was a standardized computer-based task, which measured loneliness implicitly. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed on tumor tissues post surgery to determine the expression of cytokines.
Results: logistic regression showed that higher levels of implicit loneliness independently predicted stronger expression of VEGF, controlling for Dukes stage and explicit loneliness, both of which were nonsignificant predictors. No significant relationships were found between the loneliness measures and interleukin-6.
Conclusions: the results of this study suggest VEGF to be an angiogenic mechanism through which loneliness may lead to worse cancer-related outcomes. Implications are discussed in terms of devising targeted psychosocial and immunotherapeutic interventions for cancer patients with low social support.
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Published date: 17 November 2010
Keywords:
tumor, vascular endothelial growth factor, interleukin-6, social support, loneliness
Organisations:
Faculty of Medicine, Psychology
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 160259
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/160259
ISSN: 0033-3174
PURE UUID: 81b5a06c-b184-4f1e-b8ac-7e38c9c69b9a
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Date deposited: 19 Aug 2010 15:29
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:34
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Contributors
Author:
Bina Nausheen
Author:
Norman J. Carr
Author:
Rona Moss-Morris
Author:
Clare Verrill
Author:
Elizabeth Robbins
Author:
Alex M. Baker
Author:
Mary Judd
Author:
Yori Gidron
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