The following is a summary of “Positive and negative emotion are associated with generalized transcriptional activation in immune cells,” published in the July 2023 issue of Psychoneuroendocrinology by Rahal et al.

Modifications in gene expression within the immune system have been linked to psychopathology, yet it remains uncertain if comparable connections exist for fluctuations in emotion within an individual. The current investigation explored the potential correlation between positive and negative emotions with the manifestation of pro-inflammatory and antiviral genes in circulating leukocytes obtained from a community sample of 90 adolescents (M_age = 16.3 years, standard deviation = 0.7; 51.1% female). Adolescents disclosed their positive and negative affect and provided blood specimens twice, with a five-week interval between each collection. 

Utilizing a multilevel analytic framework, the researcher’s study revealed that individual-level increments in positive emotion were linked to decreased expression of pro-inflammatory and Type I interferon (IFN) response genes. These findings remained significant even after accounting for demographic and biological factors and leukocyte subset abundance. In contrast, elevations in negative affect were associated with heightened expression of pro-inflammatory and Type I interferon genes. When examined in the identical model, connections with positive emotion surfaced as noteworthy, and enhancements in overall emotional valence were linked to decreased pro-inflammatory and antiviral gene expression. 

These findings clearly distinguish from the previously observed Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity (CTRA) gene regulation pattern, known for its reciprocal alterations in pro-inflammatory and antiviral gene expression. The current results indicate changes in overall immunological activation. These findings elucidate a specific biological pathway through which emotions could influence health and physiological function within the immune system. Subsequent investigations can explore the possibility of enhancing adolescent health by cultivating positive emotions and assessing their impact on the immune system.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453023000811