Plasma pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines may relate to cocaine use, cognitive functioning, and depressive symptoms in cocaine use disorder

ABSTRACT

Background

Inflammation is implicated in cocaine use and associated problems, including depression and cognitive impairment.

Objective

We assessed 18 cytokines, cocaine use, cognition, and depression in individuals with Cocaine Use Disorder. Our general hypothesis was that higher pro-inflammatory cytokines would relate to more cocaine use, poorer cognition, and more depression, while higher anti-inflammatory cytokines would relate to less cocaine use, better cognition, and less depression.

Methods

Data were collected from 85 individuals (76.5% male, 80% African American) aged 18–65. The ASI, Shipley-2, and BDI-II assessed frequency and duration of cocaine use, cognition, and depression. Cytokines were tested using Bio-Plex Pro™ assays. Elastic net regression identified which cytokines related to each measure, controlling for confounds.

Results

Lower IL-29 (B = −0.08, bootstrapped 95%CI = [−0.24,0.07]), scD163 (B = −0.11, bootstrapped 95%CI = [−0.27,0.04]), Eotaxin-1 CCL11 (B = −0.11, bootstrapped 95%CI = [−0.30,0.08]), and higher APRIL/TNFSF13 (B = 0.11, bootstrapped 95%CI = [−0.08,0.30]) related to more frequent cocaine use. Lower IL-29 (B = −0.24, bootstrapped 95% CI = [−2.26,1.79]) and IL-20 (B = −1.62, bootstrapped 95%CI = [−3.53,0.29]) related to longer duration of cocaine use. Higher Eotaxin-2 CCL24 (B = 2.79, bootstrapped 95%CI = [−0.59,6.17]) and TWEAK (B = 2.83, bootstrapped 95%CI = [−0.80,6.45]) related to better cognition. Finally, higher IL-20 (B = −1.83, bootstrapped 95%CI = [−3.70,0.04]) and Osteocalcin (B = −1.56, bootstrapped 95%CI = [−3.81,0.70]) related to lower depressive symptoms. However, none of these relationships survived bootstrapped analyses.

Conclusion

Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines may relate to cocaine use, cognition, and depression, but inconsistent with our hypotheses, higher pro-inflammatory cytokines related to better functioning in several domains. Additionally, cytokines were selected at low frequencies and demonstrated weak relationships with outcomes. These preliminary findings suggest complex relationships between inflammation and cocaine use.

KEYWORDS:

• Cocaine use disorder
• cognition
• cytokine
• depression
• elastic net
• inflammation

Disclosure of interest

The authors report no relevant disclosures.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse under Grant P50DA009262, R01DA030878, and K08DA040006, and the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston under the McGovern Research Scholars Endowment, and the Louis A. Faillace, M.D. Endowment. PLG’s contribution was funded by a fellowship from the “la Caixa” Foundation (ID 100010434), fellowship code LCF/BQ/DI19/11730047.