Depression and mucosal proinflammatory cytokines are associated in patients with ulcerative colitis and pouchitis - A pilot study

J Crohns Colitis. 2011 Aug;5(4):350-3. doi: 10.1016/j.crohns.2011.03.001. Epub 2011 Mar 27.

Abstract

Background and aims: Recent studies demonstrated that depression was associated with mucosal inflammation in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). This association had not been studied in patients with UC with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) after restorative proctocolectomy. We hypothesized that depression and mucosal proinflammatory cytokines in UC-patients with pouchitis were associated.

Methods: We assessed 18 IPAA-UC-patients with pouchitis and 19 IPAA-UC-patients without pouchitis. Mucosal biopsies were taken from the areas with maximal inflammation in the pouch or from the posterior wall of the pouch if the pouch had a normal endoscopic appearance. Disease activity was assessed by the Pouch Disease Activity Index. The expression of mucosal proinflammatory gene transcripts (interleukin-8 [IL-8] and interleukin-1ß [IL-1b]) was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Depression was assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Pearson correlations between depression and cytokine transcripts were calculated.

Results: The correlation of HADS depression scores of patients with pouchitis with IL-8 was r=0.51 (p=0.03) and with IL-1ß was r=0.47 (p=0.04). The correlation between the HADS depression scores of patients without pouchitis with IL-8 was r=-0.19; (p=0.21) and with IL-1ß was r=-0.12 (p=0.30).

Conclusion: Depression is associated with mucosal proinflammatory cytokines in patients with pouchitis after restorative proctocolectomy in patients with UC.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Colitis, Ulcerative / complications*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Depression / etiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-1beta / biosynthesis*
  • Interleukin-8 / biosynthesis*
  • Intestinal Mucosa / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pilot Projects
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Pouchitis / complications*
  • Pouchitis / metabolism
  • Proctocolectomy, Restorative
  • Surveys and Questionnaires

Substances

  • Interleukin-1beta
  • Interleukin-8