L. Redwine et al., Effects of sleep and sleep deprivation on interleukin-6, growth hormone, cortisol, and melatonin levels in humans, J CLIN END, 85(10), 2000, pp. 3597-3603
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of nocturnal sleep,
partial night sleep deprivation, and sleep stages on circulating concentra
tions of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in relation to the secretory profiles of GH,
cortisol, and melatonin. In 31 healthy male volunteers, blood samples were
obtained every 30 min during 2 nights: uninterrupted, baseline sleep and pa
rtial sleep deprivation-early night (awake until 0300 h). Sleep was measure
d by electroencephalogram polysomnography.
Sleep onset was associated with an increase in serum levels of IL-6 (P < 0.
05) during baseline sleep. During PSD-E, the nocturnal increase in IL-6 was
delayed until sleep at 0300 h. Sleep stage analyses indicated that the noc
turnal increase in IL-6 occurred in association with stage 1-2 sleep and ra
pid eye movement sleep, but levels during slow wave sleep were not differen
t from those while awake. The profile of GH across the 2 nights was similar
to that of IL-6, whereas the circadian-driven hormones cortisol and melato
nin showed no concordance with sleep.
Loss of sleep may serve to decrease nocturnal IL-6 levels, with effects on
the integrity of immune system functioning. Alternatively, given the associ
ation between sleep stages and IL-6 levels, depressed or aged populations w
ho show increased amounts of REM sleep and a relative loss of slow wave sle
ep may have elevated nocturnal concentrations of IL-6 with implications for
inflammatory disease risk.