61. Cultural differences in the link between supportive relationships and proinflammatory cytokines

Abstract

Social relationships influence physical health, possibly by influencing systemic inflammation. We examined whether positive, negative, and competitive daily social interactions predict levels of proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and the soluble receptor for tumor necrosis factor-α (sTNFαRII) and their reactivity to a social stressor. One hundred twenty-two healthy university students and employees completed daily diaries that assessed positive, negative, and competitive social interactions for 8 days. Participants then engaged in laboratory-based social stress tasks, and IL-6 and sTNFαRII were collected from oral mucosal transudate at baseline and at 25 and 80 min post-stressor. Negative social interactions predicted elevated sTNFαRII at baseline, and competitive social interactions predicted marginally higher levels of IL-6 at baseline and significantly higher levels of sTNFαRII at baseline. Negative social interactions were predictive of IL-6 and sTNFαRII 25 min post-stressor. For competitive interactions, participants reported: (1) competitive leisure-time activities, (2) academic/work-related competitive events, and (3) competing for another person’s attention. Internal analyses revealed that academic/work-related competitive events were significantly associated with baseline IL-6 and sTNFαRII, and competing for another’s attention was predictive of baseline IL-6. Daily negative and competitive social interactions are associated prospectively with heightened proinflammatory cytokine activity perhaps because they represent daily interpersonal stressors. Competing for another’s attention and academic/work related competitive events might be particularly related to proinflammatory activity, possibly because they are more threatening than competitive leisure activities.