Cerebral Structural Abnormalities and Their Associations With Peripheral Cytokine Levels in a Group of Untreated Patients With Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

The current study is to characterize the alterations of peripheral cytokines and anatomical brain changes, and their relationships in untreated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients with depressive symptoms. Twenty-nine newly diagnosed NPC patients without any treatment and 46 matched healthy comparisons were recruited, scanned with high-resolution T1 images and assessed psychologically using Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD). Serum levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) were measured by quantitative chemiluminescence assay. Inter-group comparisons of anatomical brain measures were performed, and regions with significant inter-group differences were correlated to HAMD scores and cytokines in NPC patients. A subgroup analysis especially within NPC patients with depression was conducted to precisely characterize the associations among serum cytokines, brain changes and depressive symptoms. Relative to healthy subjects, NPC patients showed significantly decreased cortical thickness in the left parahippocampal gyrus, increased surface area in the right superior parietal lobule and precentral gyrus, and increased gray matter volume in the right postcentral gyrus, bilateral caudate nucleus and right thalamus, as well as significantly elevated IL-1 beta, IL-2 and IL-10. The elevated IL-2 and IL-10 were negatively correlated with surface area in right superior parietal lobule, whilst IL-1 beta level was positively correlated to HAMD scores. In patients with depression, specific brain changes and evaluated IL-1 beta were identified, and the IL-1 beta interacted with right precentral gyrus to significantly affect the depressive symptoms. Our findings provide novel evidence indicating potential effects of inflammation on brain structure and behavior in NPC patients.