Correlation between serum levels of interleukin-4 and alexithymia scores in healthy female subjects: preliminary findings.

OBJECTIVE: Some studies suggest that inaccuracy in recognizing and describing emotional states, combined with a highly descriptive mode of expression, as in alexithymia, may influence the immune response. We therefore investigated in healthy women the relationship between alexithymia and circulating levels of IL-1, IL-2 and IL-4. METHOD: Seventeen mentally and physically healthy women aged between 20 and 25 years completed psychological questionnaires to assess alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale: TAS) and depressed mood (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale: HAD). Serum concentrations of IL-1, IL-2 and IL-4 were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: We found a significant positive correlation between serum levels of IL-4 and TAS score (r = 0.55; p = 0.021) and between factor 1 of the TAS (difficulty in identifying feelings) and IL-4 (r = 0.57; p = 0.017) while serum IL-1 and IL-2 were not detected in ten and six patients, respectively. Although there was a significant correlation between age and IL-4 levels, a linear regression with BMI, age, depressed mood and TAS as independent variables showed that only alexithymia could predict significantly increased levels of IL-4. CONCLUSION: Alexithymia and difficulty in identifying feelings could be associated with increased levels of IL-4 which may result in chronic impairment of pro/anti-inflammatory cytokine balance with psychological and somatic consequences. Nevertheless, these intriguing findings would deserve replication and extension in a larger sample of subjects.

Is there a psychoneuroimmunological pathway between alexithymia and immunity? Immune and physiological correlates of alexithymia.

The term "alexithymia" was coined by Sifneos. It is characterised by a lack of words to express emotion (a: absence of; lexi: words; thymia: emotions, affects). Its characteristics were suggested to occur more frequently in individuals with so-called "psychosomatic disorders", but this is still a matter of controversy. Here we review the psychosomatic network of alexithymia, i.e. the immune and physiological correlates of alexithymia. Some studies suggest that inaccuracy in recognising emotional states, or the way of coping with negative emotions, may influence immune function. Alexithymia is associated with higher tonic baseline levels of sympathetic activity and lower sympathetic reactivity during acute stress. Few studies have reported a diminished immune-mediated cellular response in alexithymics with oversecretion of glucocorticoids. We hypothesise that alexithymic subjects may suffer from unnoticed chronic stress with physiological and endocrine and immune consequences. Alexithymia may skew the Th-1/Th-2 balance toward Th-2 dominant immunity and lower cell-mediated (Th-1) immune response and may increase an individual's risk for stress-related disorder.