TY - JOUR
T1 - Neuroimmunological function in parents of children suffering from cancer
AU - Benaroya-Milshtein, Noa
AU - Apter, Alan
AU - Yaniv, Isaac
AU - Yuval, Oded
AU - Stern, Boaz
AU - Bengal, Yael
AU - Kodman, Yona
AU - Shemer, Eliya
AU - Pick, Chaim Gideon
AU - Buchval, Ilana
AU - Valevski, Avi
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would especially like to thank Israel Cancer Association and Oncology Memorial Fund (Israel) for supporting the psycho-oncology research.
PY - 2014/3
Y1 - 2014/3
N2 - The main aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between depression and immunological function in parents of children with cancer. Thirty-two parents participated in the study. The parents completed the following assessments: a list of major stressful events in a Hemato-Oncology ward, beck depression inventory II (BDI-II), posttraumatic diagnostic scale (PDS) and quality of life (QOL) questionnaire. A single blood sample was drawn from parents for evaluation of cortisol levels and lymphocyte cell subgroups. The parents were divided into two groups: Those who suffered from depression as defined by BDI-II cutoff score of 14 (depressed parents (DP), n = 7), and non-depressed parents (non-DP, n = 25). In parents of children with cancer the DP group had statistically significantly higher stressful event scores, dysfunction scores (from the PDS) and CD8 percentage compared to the non-DP group. QOL, CD4 percentage and CD4/CD8 ratio were significantly lower in the DP group. The BDI scores significantly positively correlated with events and dysfunctional scores, and significantly negatively correlated with QOL scores and CD4/CD8 ratio. High psychiatric morbidity was found in parents of children with cancer. The findings of altered immunity in DP provide further evidence that the physiological response to stress and depression may alter immune functions.
AB - The main aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between depression and immunological function in parents of children with cancer. Thirty-two parents participated in the study. The parents completed the following assessments: a list of major stressful events in a Hemato-Oncology ward, beck depression inventory II (BDI-II), posttraumatic diagnostic scale (PDS) and quality of life (QOL) questionnaire. A single blood sample was drawn from parents for evaluation of cortisol levels and lymphocyte cell subgroups. The parents were divided into two groups: Those who suffered from depression as defined by BDI-II cutoff score of 14 (depressed parents (DP), n = 7), and non-depressed parents (non-DP, n = 25). In parents of children with cancer the DP group had statistically significantly higher stressful event scores, dysfunction scores (from the PDS) and CD8 percentage compared to the non-DP group. QOL, CD4 percentage and CD4/CD8 ratio were significantly lower in the DP group. The BDI scores significantly positively correlated with events and dysfunctional scores, and significantly negatively correlated with QOL scores and CD4/CD8 ratio. High psychiatric morbidity was found in parents of children with cancer. The findings of altered immunity in DP provide further evidence that the physiological response to stress and depression may alter immune functions.
KW - CD4/CD8
KW - Cortisol
KW - Depression
KW - Neuroimmunological function
KW - Parents
KW - Pediatric cancer
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84896737089&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00702-013-1098-6
DO - 10.1007/s00702-013-1098-6
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AN - SCOPUS:84896737089
SN - 0300-9564
VL - 121
SP - 299
EP - 306
JO - Journal of Neural Transmission
JF - Journal of Neural Transmission
IS - 3
ER -