Abstract # 3155 Loneliness is predictive of the inflammatory response to standardized antigen exposure in vivo

• Published in: Brain, behavior, and immunity behavior, and immunity, 2019-02, Vol.76, p.e31-e31
• Main Authors: Bosch, J.A., Balter, L.J., Hulsken, S., Drayson, M.T., Aldred, S., Veldhuijzen van Zanten, J.J., Raymond, J.E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0889-1591; 1090-2139
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2018.11.272

There is an established link between social isolation and poor health outcomes, although the exact mechanisms explaining this association remain unclear. Lonely individuals show an enhanced inflammatory response to acute stress, and in the present study we investigated if loneliness also predicts inflammatory responses to a standardized immune challenge (typhoid vaccination). Using a within-subjects crossover design (double-blind, placebo-controlled), 40 healthy male participants (mean age  = 25, SD = 5) received a Salmonella Typhi vaccination (0.025 mg; Typhim Vi, Sanofi Pasteur, UK) or Placebo (saline) on two separate occasions, at least 1 week apart. Loneliness was assessed using the UCLA-R loneliness scale. As expected, vaccination increased IL-6 levels (vaccination  + 419%; placebo −10%; p < .001). This response was not accompanied by fever, sickness symptoms (e.g., nausea), or mood changes (all p > .10). Regression analyses showed that those scoring higher on loneliness showed a stronger IL-6 response (beta = 0.416, p < .05; using placebo as a reference). This association withstood adjustment for a range of potentially confounding variables, including health behaviors (e.g., exercise, alcohol) and depressive symptoms. Enhanced inflammatory reactivity in more lonely individuals may form a pathway linking perceived social isolation to poorer health outcomes.