J Neurol Surg B Skull Base 2016; 77 - FP-18-07
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1592532

Greater High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and Interleukin-6 Concentrations Are Associated with Greater Mood and Anxiety Symptoms and Worse Cognitive Functioning of Acoustic Neuroma Patients

Andrius Radziunas 1, 2, Sarunas Tamasauskas 1, 2, Vytenis P. Deltuva 2, Arimantas Tamasauskas 2, Adomas Bunevicius 1, 2
  • 1Neuroscience institute, Laboratory of Clinical research, Kaunas, Lithuania
  • 2Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU) Kauno Klinikos, Kaunas, Lithuania

Objective: Acoustic neuroma patients are at elevated risk for depression and anxiety when compared with healthy population. Inflammatory biomarkers have been implicated in the development and progression of mood and anxiety symptoms, and in cognitive impairment. In acoustic neuroma patients, we evaluated the association of hsCRP and IL-6 serum concentrations with mood and anxiety symptom severity, and with cognitive functioning.

Methods: Twenty-eight patients (23 women and 5 men; median age 56 years) on admission for elective acoustic neuroma removal surgery were evaluated for depressive and anxiety symptom severity (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale or HADS, and Beck Depression Inventory-II or BDI-II), cognitive functioning (Mini Mental State Examination or MMSE) and functional status (Barthel index or BI). During the same visit blood samples were drawn for assessment of hsCRP and IL-6 serum concentrations.

Results: Greater serum hsCRP concentrations were associated with greater scores on the HADS-Anxiety (rho = 0.489, p = 0.02), HADS-Depression (rho = 0.518, p = 0.01) and BDI-II (rho = 0.511, p = 0.01). Greater IL-6 concentration was associated with greater HADS-Anxiety (rho = 0.472, p = 0.03), HADS-Depression (rho = 0.505, p = 0.02) and BDI-II (rho = 0.486, p = 0.02) scores and with lower MMSE scores (rho = −0.5, p = 0.02). Greater IL-6 concentrations remained associated with lower MMSE scores after adjusting for age, gender, and BI score (β= −0.5, p = 0.02).

Conclusion: In acoustic neuroma patients, greater IL-6 and hsCRP serum concentrations correlate with greater preoperative depressive and anxiety symptom severity. Greater IL-6 concentration is associated with worse cognitive functioning independently from patients’ age, gender and functional status. Larger studies investigating relationship of inflammatory biomarkers with patient-oriented outcomes in acoustic neuroma patients are needed.