Innate immunity impacts social-cognitive functioning in people with multiple sclerosis and healthy individuals: Implications for IL-1ra and urinary immune markers

• Published in: Brain, behavior, & immunity. Health behavior, & immunity. Health, 2021-07, Vol.14, p.100254, Article 100254
• Main Authors: Turner, Jason A., Padgett, Christine, McDonald, Skye, Ahuja, Kiran D.K., Francis, Heather M., Lim, Chai K., Honan, Cynthia A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Emotion perception; Emotional empathy; Full Length; Inflammation; Innate immunity; Multiple sclerosis; Sarcasm; Sickness behaviour; Social cognition; TASIT-S; Theory of mind
• ISSN: 2666-3546; 2666-3546
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100254

Social-cognitive difficulties can negatively impact interpersonal communication, shared social experience, and meaningful relationships. This pilot investigation examined the relationship between social-cognitive functioning and inflammatory markers in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and demographically-matched healthy individuals. Additionally, we compared the immune marker profile in serum and urine-matched samples. Social cognitive functioning was objectively assessed using The Awareness of Social Inference Test – Short (TASIT-S) and subjectively assessed using self-reports of abilities in emotion recognition, emotional empathy, and cognitive theory of mind. In people with MS and healthy individuals, there were moderate-to-large negative relationships between pro-inflammatory biomarkers (serum IL-1β, IL-17, TNF-α, IP-10, MIP-1α, and urine IP-10, MIP-1β) of the innate immune system and social-cognitive functioning. In MS, a higher serum concentration of the anti-inflammatory marker IL-1ra was associated with better social-cognitive functioning (i.e., self-reported emotional empathy and TASIT-S sarcasm detection performance). However, there were mixed findings for anti-inflammatory serum markers IL-4 and IL-10. Overall, our findings indicate a relationship between pro-inflammatory cytokines and social-cognitive abilities. Future studies may provide greater insight into biologically-derived inflammatory processes, sickness behaviour, and their connection with social cognition. •Innate immunity (serum IL-1β, IL-17, TNF-α, IP-10, MIP-1α, and urine IP-10, MIP-1β) negatively affects social cognition.•Given their relationship, activation of IL-1ra may be a potential therapeutic target to improve social-cognitive abilities.•Higher concentration of pro-inflammatory markers in the periphery do not always lead to higher excretion levels in urine.•Inflammatory dysregulation, may, in part, underlie social-cognitive difficulties.