Source-specific social support and circulating inflammatory markers among white-collar employees

Background Despite known beneficial effects of social support on cardiovascular health, the pathway through which sources of support (supervisor, coworkers, family/friends) influence inflammatory markers is not completely understood. Purpose We investigated the independent and moderating associations between social support and inflammatory markers. Methods A total of 137 male white-collar employees underwent a blood draw for measurement of high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), monocyte and leukocyte counts, and completed a questionnaire on social support. Results Multivariable linear regression analyses controlling for covariates revealed that supervisor support was inversely associated with IL-6 (β =-0.24, p <0.01) while coworker support was marginally associated with TNF-α (β =-0.16, p <0.10). Support from family/friends was not associated with inflammatory markers. Conclusion Social support from the immediate supervisor may be a potential mechanism through which social support exerts beneficial effects on inflammatory markers in working men.