Cytokines interferon-γ- inducible protein 10 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor are associated with psychiatric symptoms in opioid-dependent patients: A cross- sectional study.

<h4>Background</h4>Psychiatric disorders and chronic hepatitis virus C infection are known to alter blood cytokines levels. However, little is known about the association between cytokines and psychiatric symptoms in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. This study aimed at...

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Main Authors: Kristin Nygård Odeh, Hedda Soløy Nilsen, Magnhild Gangsøy Kristiansen, Ole Lars Brekke, Tom Eirik Mollnes, Michael Berk
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0324365
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Summary:<h4>Background</h4>Psychiatric disorders and chronic hepatitis virus C infection are known to alter blood cytokines levels. However, little is known about the association between cytokines and psychiatric symptoms in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. This study aimed at exploring this association. Moreover, since nearly half of the patients receive opioid maintenance treatment, we also investigated if long-term opioid treatment had any impact on these associations.<h4>Methods</h4>We conducted a cross-sectional study on 120 outpatients referred for antiviral hepatitis C treatment. Serum level of 27 cytokines was measured using multiplex technology, and psychiatric symptom clusters were assessed using the Symptoms Check-List-90-R. Data on confounding factors including age, gender, weight, height, current medication and smoking habits were collected. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to examine associations, adjusting for confounding factors.<h4>Results</h4>After adjusting for the most commonly known confounding factors, IP-10 and GM-CSF were negatively associated with depression, and GM-CSF was negatively associated with phobic anxiety. Subgroup analyses revealed that these associations were present only in patients receiving opioid maintenance treatment, as demonstrated by repeated regression analysis.<h4>Conclusions</h4>In patients with chronic hepatitis C viral infection, only IP-10 and GM-CSF were negatively associated with self-reported psychiatric symptom clusters. These associations were observed exclusively in patients receiving opioid maintenance treatment. Our study contributes to others investigations pointing to a possible immune dampening caused by long-term opioid treatment.
ISSN:1932-6203