Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2017 Jan:59:93-102.
doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2016.08.013. Epub 2016 Aug 24.

Psychophysiological correlates of systemic inflammation in black and white men

Affiliations
Comparative Study

Psychophysiological correlates of systemic inflammation in black and white men

Kimberly G Lockwood et al. Brain Behav Immun. 2017 Jan.

Abstract

Inflammation plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and levels of circulating inflammatory markers are associated with future CVD risk. However, the physiological mechanisms that control systemic levels of circulating inflammatory markers are not well understood. Here, we explore possible autonomic nervous system mechanisms by testing whether resting and stressor-evoked cardiovascular responses are associated with two markers of systemic inflammation: interleukin (IL)-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP). Subjects were 159 black and 129 white men (M=33.0years) who completed a laboratory protocol including an anger recall speech task. Electrocardiography and impedance cardiography data were collected during a resting baseline, the speech task, and a final recovery period. Hierarchical regressions tested whether resting or stressor-evoked levels of heart rate (HR), high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV), pre-ejection period (PEP), and pulse transit time (PTT) were associated with CRP or IL-6. Higher resting HR was associated with higher CRP (β=0.19, p=0.003) and IL-6 (β=0.13, p<0.05). Similarly, shorter resting PTT was associated with higher CRP (β=-0.21, p<0.001) and IL-6 (β=-0.14, p=0.02). In addition, greater stressor-evoked decreases in HF-HRV were associated with higher CRP (β=-0.14, p=0.01). Associations were independent of age, race, body mass index (BMI), smoking behavior, and socioeconomic status. Resting HF-HRV and PEP were also associated with CRP and IL-6, but associations were not significant after controlling for BMI and smoking behavior. These findings indicate that resting HR and PTT, as well stressor-evoked HF-HRV reactivity, are associated with systemic inflammation. Our results suggest that both tonic and stressor-evoked sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system activity may contribute to regulation of systemic inflammation.

Keywords: Cardiovascular; Inflammation; Psychophysiology; Stress reactivity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Associations between resting psychophysiological variables and CRP. (a) Higher heart rate is associated with higher CRP. (b) Shorter PTT is associated with higher CRP. Notes: CRP = C-reactive protein; HR = heart rate; PTT = pulse transit time
Figure 2
Figure 2
Association between stressor-evoked HF-HRV reactivity to the speech preparation task and CRP. (a) Greater stressor-evoked decreases in HF-HRV are associated with higher CRP. Notes: CRP = C-reactive protein; HF-HRV = high frequency heart rate variability.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Associations between resting psychophysiological variables and IL-6. (a) Higher heart rate is associated with higher IL-6. (b) Shorter PTT is associated with higher IL-6. Notes: IL-6 = interleukin-6; HR = heart rate; PTT = pulse transit time

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Berntson GG, Bigger JT, Eckberg DL, Grossman P, Kaufmann PG, Malik M, Nagaraja HN, Porges SW, Saul JP, Stone PH, van der Molen MW. Heart rate variability: origins, methods, and interpretive caveats. Psychophysiology. 1997;34:623–648. - PubMed
    1. Berntson GG, Quigley KS, Lozano D. Cardiovascular Psychophysiology. In: Cacioppo JT, Tassinary LG, Berntson GG, editors. Handbook of Psychophysiology. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press; 2007. pp. 182–210.
    1. Bierhaus A, Wolf J, Andrassy M, Rohleder N, Humpert PM, Petrov D, Ferstl R, von Eynatten M, Wendt T, Rudofsky G, Joswig M, Morcos M, Schwaninger M, McEwen B, Kirschbaum C, Nawroth PP. A mechanism converting psychosocial stress into mononuclear cell activation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003;100:1920–1925. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cacioppo JT, Berntson GG, Binkley PF, Quigley KS, Uchino BN, Fieldstone A. Autonomic cardiac control II. Noninvasive indices and basal response as revealed by autonomic blockades. Psychophysiology. 1994a;31:586–598. - PubMed
    1. Cacioppo JT, Malarkey WB, Kiecolt-Glaser JK, Uchino BN, Sgoutas-Emch SA, Sheridan JF, Berntson GG, Glaser R. Heterogeneity in neuroendocrine and immune responses to brief psychological stressors as a function of autonomic cardiac activation. Psychosom. Med. 1995;57:154–164. - PubMed

Publication types