Department of Psychology and Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2012 Jul;1261:88-96. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2012.06634.x.
Chronic low-grade inflammation, in particular increased concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6 in the circulation, is observed with increasing age, but it is also as a consequence of various medical and psychological conditions, as well as life-style choices. Since molecules such as IL-6 have pleiotropic effects, consequences are wide ranging. This short review summarizes the evidence showing how IL-6 elevations in the context of inflammatory disease affect the organism, with a focus on sleep-related symptoms and fatigue; and conversely, how alterations in sleep duration and quality stimulate increased concentrations of IL-6 in the circulation. Research showing that acute as well as chronic psychological stress also increase concentrations of IL-6 supports the notion of a close link between an organism's response to physiological and psychological perturbations. The findings summarized here further underscore the particular importance of IL-6 as a messenger molecule that connects peripheral regulatory processes with the CNS.
慢性低度炎症，尤其是循环中促炎细胞因子（如白细胞介素-6 [IL-6]）浓度的增加，随着年龄的增长而观察到，但也是各种医学和心理状况以及生活方式选择的结果。由于像 IL-6 这样的分子具有多效性，因此后果是广泛的。这篇简短的综述总结了证据，表明炎症性疾病背景下的 IL-6 升高如何影响机体，重点是与睡眠相关的症状和疲劳；相反，睡眠持续时间和质量的改变如何刺激循环中 IL-6 浓度的增加。研究表明，急性和慢性心理应激也会增加 IL-6 的浓度，这支持了机体对生理和心理干扰的反应之间存在密切联系的观点。这里总结的研究结果进一步强调了 IL-6 作为连接外周调节过程与中枢神经系统的信使分子的特殊重要性。
