Lutgendorf S K, Garand L, Buckwalter K C, Reimer T T, Hong S Y, Lubaroff D M
Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, USA.
J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 1999 Sep;54(9):M434-9. doi: 10.1093/gerona/54.9.m434.
Although adverse effects of severe chronic stress on immunocompetence and physical well-being in older adults have been reported, the immune response to less severe life stress among healthy older adults, particularly among women, is not well understood. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been considered a good overall indicator of immune functioning in older adults because of its contribution to the pathogenesis of several age-related conditions such as osteoporosis. Regulation of IL-6 is impaired in elderly adults, and levels of IL-6 increase with stress and depression. This research cross-sectionally examined levels of IL-6 in three groups of healthy older women with varying levels of life stress and mood disturbance and a healthy group of young women.
Subjects included 18 caregivers of Alzheimer's patients, 17 older women assessed one month before relocation of their residence, 15 nonmoving and noncaregiving older women, and 20 younger women. Subjects completed the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and had early morning blood draws.
Alzheimer's caregivers reported significantly greater distress than women of all other groups. IL-6 levels in caregivers were significantly higher than those of all other women. The older women had significantly higher IL-6 than young controls, but there were no significant differences in IL-6 between movers and older controls. Among all women, greater depression and distress were related to higher levels of IL-6.
These findings suggest that in older women, chronic stressors are associated with significant elevations in IL-6 over and above the elevations associated with normal aging, but that moderate stressors may not be related to appreciable elevations in IL-6.
尽管已有报道称严重慢性应激会对老年人的免疫能力和身体健康产生不利影响，但健康老年人，尤其是女性，对不太严重的生活应激的免疫反应尚不清楚。白细胞介素-6（IL-6）被认为是老年人免疫功能的一个良好总体指标，因为它在骨质疏松症等几种与年龄相关疾病的发病机制中起作用。老年人中IL-6的调节受损，其水平会随着应激和抑郁而升高。本研究对三组生活应激和情绪障碍程度不同的健康老年女性以及一组健康年轻女性的IL-6水平进行了横断面研究。
受试者包括18名阿尔茨海默病患者的照料者、17名在住所搬迁前一个月接受评估的老年女性、15名未搬迁且非照料者的老年女性以及20名年轻女性。受试者完成了情绪状态量表（POMS）并进行了清晨采血。
阿尔茨海默病照料者报告的痛苦程度明显高于其他所有组的女性。照料者的IL-6水平显著高于所有其他女性。老年女性的IL-6水平显著高于年轻对照组，但搬迁者和老年对照组之间的IL-6水平无显著差异。在所有女性中，抑郁和痛苦程度越高，IL-6水平越高。
这些发现表明，在老年女性中，慢性应激源与IL-6的显著升高有关，这种升高超过了与正常衰老相关的升高，但中度应激源可能与IL-6的明显升高无关。
