Higher sTNF-RII Research Articles

Inflammation, Attention, and Processing Speed in Patients With Breast Cancer Before and After Chemotherapy.

Inflammation may contribute to cognitive difficulties in patients with breast cancer. We tested 2 hypotheses: inflammation is elevated in patients with breast cancer vs noncancer control participants and inflammation in patients is associated with worse attention and processing speed over the course of chemotherapy. Serum cytokines (interleukin [IL]-4, 6, 8, 10; tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α) and soluble receptors [sTNFRI, II]) were measured in 519 females with breast cancer before and after chemotherapy and 338 females without cancer serving as control participants. Attention and processing speed were measured by Rapid Visual Processing (RVP), Backward Counting (BCT), and Trail Making-A (TMT-A) tests. Linear regression models examined patient vs control cytokines and receptor levels, adjusting for covariates. Linear regression models also examined relationships between patient cytokines and receptor levels and test performance, adjusting for age, body mass index, anxiety, depression, cognitive reserve, and chemotherapy duration. Statistical tests were 2-sided (α = .05). sTNFRI and sTNFRII increased over time in patients relative to controls, whereas IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10 decreased. Prechemotherapy, higher IL-8 associated with worse BCT (β = 0.610, SE = 0.241, P = .01); higher IL-4 (β = -1.098, SE = 0.516, P = .03) and IL-10 (β = -0.835, SE = 0.414, P = .04) associated with better TMT-A. Postchemotherapy, higher IL-8 (β = 0.841, SE = 0.260, P = .001), sTNFRI (β = 6.638, SE = 2.208, P = .003), and sTNFRII (β = 0.913, SE = 0.455, P = .045) associated with worse BCT; higher sTNFRII also associated with worse RVP (β = -1.316, SE = 0.587, P = .03). At prechemotherapy, higher IL-4 predicted RVP improvement over time (β = 0.820, SE = 0.336, P = .02); higher sTNFRI predicted worse BCT over time (β = 5.566, SE = 2.367, P = .02). Longitudinally, increases in IL-4 associated with BCT improvement (β = -0.564, SE = 0.253, P = .03). Generally, worse attention and processing speed were associated with higher inflammatory cytokines and receptors and lower anti-inflammatory cytokines in patients; future confirmatory studies are needed.

Cancer-related masculine threat and behavioral symptoms in prostate cancer survivors

Background Cancer-related masculine threat (CMT), or the extent to which men believe that cancer is inconsistent with their masculinity, exacerbates declines in prostate-related functioning following cancer treatment (Hoyt et al., 2016). Yet no study has sought to examine possible behavioral or immune pathways affecting health. The present study examined how CMT is related to sleep, fatigue, and markers of inflammation in prostate cancer survivors over time. Methods Men (N = 61; M age = 65.76, SD = 9.04) treated for localized prostate cancer in the preceding two years were enrolled in a study of “health-related quality of life.” Cancer-related masculine threat was assessed at study entry and sleep quality, fatigue, and markers of inflammation were measure 4 months later. Results Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to test for relationships over time. CMT was associated with more fatigue (B = 0.39, p = 0.019), worse sleep quality (B = 0.56. p = 0.002), and higher sTNFRII (B = 0.35, p = 0.047). CMT was not associated with CRP or IL-6). All analyses statistically controlled for participant age, BMI, and depressive symptoms (other biobehavioral variables were controlled by study design). Conclusion Aspects of masculinity and gender role, particularly those that are traditional and restrictive, are related to poorer physical and psychological outcomes in men with cancer. In men with prostate cancer, CMT might invoke unique physiological influence on physiology with potential negatively impact psychological and physical health.

Higher sTNF-RII Associated with Reduced Memory Functioning Among BC Patients Before Treatment

Higher sTNF-RII Associated with Reduced Memory Functioning Among BC Patients Before Treatment

A Prospective Study of Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Receptor II (sTNF-RII) and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease Among Women With Type 2 Diabetes

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), a cytokine secreted by adipose tissue and other cells, might play a role in insulin resistance. Of 32,826 women from the Nurses' Health Study who provided blood at baseline, we followed 929 women with type 2 diabetes. During 10 years of follow-up, we documented 124 incident cases of coronary heart disease (CHD). After adjustment for age, smoking, BMI, and other cardiovascular risk factors, the relative risks (RRs) comparing extreme quartiles of soluble TNF-alpha receptor II (sTNF-RII) were 2.48 (95% CI 1.08-5.69; P = 0.034) for myocardial infarction (MI) and 2.02 (1.17-3.48; P = 0.003) for total CHD. The probability of developing CHD over 10 years was higher among diabetic subjects with substantially higher levels of both sTNF-RII (>75th percentile) and HbA(1c) (>7%), compared with diabetic subjects with lower levels (25% vs. 7%, P < 0.0001). Diabetic subjects with only higher sTNF-RII or HbA(1c) had similar (16-17%) risk. In a multivariate model, diabetic subjects with higher levels of both sTNF-RII and HbA(1c) had an RR of 3.66 (1.85-7.22) for MI and 3.03 (1.82-5.05) for total CHD, compared with those with lower levels of both biomarkers. Increased levels of sTNF-RII were strongly associated with risk of CHD among diabetic women, independent of hyperglycemia.