The relationship between depressive symptoms and immune status phenotypes in patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer

✍ Scribed by Allen J. Orsi; Ruth McCorkle; Anne W. Tax; Andrea Barsevick

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 790 KB
• Volume: 5
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1057-9249
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1611(199612)5:4<311::aid-pon224>3.0.co;2-r

✦ Synopsis

Studies suggest an association among depression, depressive symptoms and changes in the immune system. More specifically, research has demonstrated an association among depression, depressive symptoms and certain components (NK levels) of the immune system. Although there is evidence to indicate patients are psychologically affected by colorectal cancer and surgery postoperatively, the association between depressive symptoms and immune status changes during the immediate postoperative recovery phase is unknown. The purpose of the present study was to describe the relationship between depressive symptoms and immune status as measured by phenotype analysis among 63 patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery. Fourteen percent of the patients continued to report depressive symptoms at 6 months postoperatively. F'reoperatively and postoperatively, levels of NK cells among patients with more severe depressive symptoms were significantly lower than patients without or with minimal depressive symptoms. In addition, NK cell counts among the group with more severe depressive symptoms postoperatively were below the average NK cell count. Preoperative depressive symptoms significantly predicted NK and CD4/CD8 levels. These results suggest that preoperative depressive symptoms may have a prolonged effect on the patient's immune status and warrant early intervention.