A population-based study of children suggests blunted morning cortisol rhythms are associated with alterations of the systemic inflammatory state.
Runia RoyUtkarsh J DangKim M HuffmanTchilabalo AlayiYetrib HathoutKanneboyina NagarajuPaul S VisichEric P HoffmanPublished in: Psychoneuroendocrinology (2023)
We provide preliminary data on diurnal fluctuations of inflammatory cytokines in saliva in a population-based cohort of children. Correlation of morning and evening cortisol levels with inflammatory cytokines in the same saliva samples showed that high morning cortisol was associated with high morning IL-1β and low evening IL-1β. Future studies may test the hypothesis that strong diurnal cycling of IL-1β may serve as a homeostatic mechanism keeping the immune system in check, and that low morning cortisol (possible circadian misalignment) may lead to less stringent control of inflammatory networks.