TNF-α plays a role in sleep disturbance in patients with rotator cuff tear
Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to determine serum levels of sleep-related cytokines in patients with rotator cuff tear (RCT) and to investigate the correlations between serum levels of sleep-related cytokines and clinical scores. Methods Peripheral blood samples were collected from 63 study participants were divided into three groups: RCT patients with sleep disturbance (sleep disturbance group; SD group) (n = 21), RCT patients without sleep disturbance (normal sleep group; NS group) (n = 21), and patients with shoulder instability (control group) (n = 21). Serum concentration levels of sleep-related cytokines including interleukin-1α (IL-1α), IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The associations between serum levels of sleep-related cytokines and clinical scores including the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain score, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) score, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were analyzed. Results Serum concentration levels of TNF-α were significantly higher in the SD group compared with those of the NS and control groups (P = < 0.001 and 0.05). Serum levels of IL-8 and IL-10 were significantly higher in the SD group compared with those of control group (P = 0.01 and = 0.05), but did not differ significantly from that of the NS group (P > 0.05). Serum level of IL-6 was significantly lower in the SD group compared with those of the NS and control groups (P = < 0.001 and 0.01). There were no associations between serum levels of sleep-related cytokines and all clinical scores including VAS pain, UCLA, and PSQI scores (all P > 0.05). Conclusion The current findings suggest that TNF-α may play a significant role in the pathophysiology of sleep disturbance in patients with RCT and be a possible therapeutic target to improve sleep disturbance in patients with RCT.