Loneliness is not only not a good counselor. It also reduces the effectiveness of our body's defensive response. A team of researchers from the University of California (UCLA) has just identified a pattern of gene expression in the cells of the immune system typical of those people who suffer from chronically high levels of loneliness.
The results suggest that social isolation produces an overexpression of genes linked to inflammation , while the antiviral response and the production of antibodies are diminished. The research is the first to explain from a molecular point of view why social isolation is typically linked to an increased risk of heart disease, viral infections and cancer . "We have verified that what counts at the genetic level is not how many people you know, but how many you feel really close to," explains Steve Cole, co-author of the study published in the Journal of Genome Biology .
Journal of Genome Biology (http://genomebiology.com/)
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