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Comparative Study
. 2014 Aug;18(4):397-404.
doi: 10.1016/j.ejon.2014.03.009. Epub 2014 Apr 13.

Cytokine gene variations associated with subsyndromal depressive symptoms in patients with breast cancer

Shanwell Saad  1 , Laura B Dunn  2 , Theresa Koetters  1 , Anand Dhruva  3 , Dale J Langford  1 , John D Merriman  1 , Claudia West  1 , Steven M Paul  1 , Bruce Cooper  4 , Janine Cataldo  1 , Deborah Hamolsky  1 , Charles Elboim  5 , Bradley E Aouizerat  6 , Christine Miaskowski  7
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Cytokine gene variations associated with subsyndromal depressive symptoms in patients with breast cancer

Shanwell Saad et al. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2014 Aug.

Abstract

Purpose: This study explored the relationships between variations in cytokines genes and depressive symptoms in a sample of patients who were assessed prior to and for six months following breast cancer surgery. Phenotypic differences between Resilient (n = 155) and Subsyndromal (n = 180) depressive symptom classes, as well as variations in cytokine genes were evaluated.

Method: Patients were recruited prior to surgery and followed for six months. Growth mixture modeling was used to identify distinct latent classes based on Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale scores. Eighty-two single nucleotide polymorphisms and 35 haplotypes among 15 candidate cytokine genes were evaluated.

Results: Patients in the Subsyndromal class were significantly younger, more likely to be married or partnered, and reported a significantly lower functional status. Variation in three cytokine genes (i.e., interferon gamma receptor 1 (IFNGR1 rs9376268), interleukin 6 (IL6 rs2069840), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFA rs1799964)), as well as age and functional status predicted membership in the Subsyndromal versus the Resilient class.

Conclusions: A variation in TNFA that was associated with Subsyndromal depressive symptoms in a sample of patients and their family caregivers was confirmed in this sample. Variations in cytokine genes may place these patients at higher risk for the development of Subsyndromal levels of depressive symptoms.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Cytokines; Depression; Depressive symptoms; Genetics; Interferon gamma; Interleukin 6; Subsyndromal depression; Tumor necrosis factor alpha.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: None

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Observed and estimated Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) trajectories for the patients in each of the latent classes, as well as the mean CES-D scores for the total sample (Adapted from Dunn, et al. 2011).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Figure 2A – Differences between the latent classes in the percentages of patients who were homozygous for the common allele (GG) or heterozygous of homozygous for the rare allele (GA+AA) for rs9376268 in interferon gamma receptor 1 (IFNGR1). Figure 2B - Differences between the latent classes in the percentages of patients who were homozygous or heterozygous for the common allele (CC+CG) or homozygous for the rare allele (GG) for rs2069840 in interleukin 6 (IL6). Figure 2C - Differences between the latent classes in the percentages of patients who were homozygous or heterozygous for the common allele (TT+TC) or homozygous for the rare allele (CC) for rs1799964 in tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-A).
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