To examine inflammatory and physiological markers in EMS personnel compared with matched controls, focusing on the association between cortisol and CX3CL1 and exploratory sex-related patterns.
Approach:
Participants: Seventy-eight participants, including 39 EMS personnel and 39 matched controls.
Assessment: Participants underwent assessment of blood pressure, plasma cortisol, cytokines, chemokines, and psychological distress using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21.
Analysis: Plasma concentrations of inflammatory mediators were analyzed using two-way ANOVA and Spearman correlation analyses.
Key Findings:
The EMS group exhibited increased concentrations of several cytokines, including GM-CSF, IFN-α, IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13, and chemokines such as CCL2 and CX3CL1.
Most cytokines and chemokines formed a highly intercorrelated inflammatory cluster.
Interpretation:
CX3CL1 may reflect a stress-sensitive chemokine and a candidate marker of neuroendocrine–immune interaction.
Limitations:
The study is cross-sectional and exploratory, limiting causal inferences.
Sample size may restrict the generalizability of findings.
Conclusion:
EMS personnel exhibited an altered systemic cytokine–chemokine profile along with physiological changes and exploratory sex-related patterns.
by Elena R. Serrano-Ibáñez, María Flores-López, Laura Martín-Chaves, Tania Corrás-Vázquez, Inés Antúnez-Muñoz, Javier Samper-Zapata, Ada del Mar Carmona-Segovia, Raquel Reviriego, Manuel Jiménez-Navarro, Fernando Rodríguez de Fonseca, Antonia Serrano, Francisco Javier Pavón-Morón
