Brain, behavior, and immunity
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Brain Behav. Immun. · Nov 2007
Clinical TrialOne year pre-post intervention follow-up of psychological, immune, endocrine and blood pressure outcomes of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in breast and prostate cancer outpatients.
This study investigated the ongoing effects of participation in a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program on quality of life (QL), symptoms of stress, mood and endocrine, immune and autonomic parameters in early stage breast and prostate cancer patients. ⋯ MBSR program participation was associated with enhanced quality of life and decreased stress symptoms, altered cortisol and immune patterns consistent with less stress and mood disturbance, and decreased blood pressure. These pilot data represent a preliminary investigation of the longer-term relationships between MBSR program participation and a range of potentially important biomarkers.
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Brain Behav. Immun. · Nov 2007
Comparative StudyLongitudinal analysis of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine production in severely fatigued adolescents.
In the adolescent population, fatigue is associated with somatic complaints, unrefreshing sleep, cognitive disturbances and symptoms of depression and anxiety. This pattern of symptoms resembles the one described in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Since immunological alterations have been reported in CFS patients, we wondered whether also severely fatigued girls from a healthy population would show comparable alterations in psychological and immunological parameters. ⋯ Data from a small group of CFS patients (N=11) showed similarities in self-reported complaints between CFS patients and fatigued participants. Interestingly, CFS patients showed a distinct immune profile when compared to the severely fatigued or non-fatigued participants, i.e. increased levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10, decreased IFN-gamma/IL-10 ratio) and reduced levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-alpha) over all three time points analyzed. These results show that, although overlap in symptomatology between the general population and patients with CFS was observed, only CFS patients show a skewing of the cytokine balance towards an anti-inflammatory profile.