The effects of acute psychological stress on circulating inflammatory factors in humans: a review and meta-analysis.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental laboratory stress studies
PubMed 17475444 · doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2007.03.011
What was done
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 30 studies investigating the effects of acute laboratory psychological stress on circulating inflammatory markers and stimulated cytokine production in humans.
What was found
Acute psychological stress significantly increased circulating levels of IL-6 (r = 0.19, p = 0.001) and IL-1beta (r = 0.58, p < 0.001). Changes in CRP were marginal (r = 0.12, p = 0.088). Effects on stimulated cytokine production were less consistent. Significant variation in inflammatory response was related to participant health status and the timing of post-stress sample collection.
Why it matters
This review confirms that acute psychological challenges trigger rapid increases in specific circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines, outlining a measurable biological pathway connecting acute stress to inflammatory disease risk.
Limits
The primary studies had substantial heterogeneity in study group composition, participant health status, laboratory stress challenges, assay methods, and post-stress sampling intervals. Total participant sample size and specific effect sizes for stimulated cytokine assays were not provided in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Psychological stress causes physical inflammation in the body.