Theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence suggest that the parasympathetic nervous system engages in active monitoring and moderating of inflammatory processes. A clearer understanding of the bidirectional communication between the parasympathetic nervous system and the immune system could lead to novel clinical interventions for inflammatory illnesses. The current study used a large (N = 836) nationally representative sample of adults in the United States to investigate the relations between resting parasympathetic modulation of the heart, indexed through both high frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) and low frequency heart rate variability (LF-HRV), and six markers of circulating inflammation. Statistical analyses revealed robust inverse relations between HF-HRV and interleukin-6 (IL6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and fibrinogen, with or without covariate adjustment. Similar inverse relations were observed between LF-HRV and IL6 and CRP. No significant relations were observed between HRV and either inflammatory adhesion molecules (E-selectin, intracellular adhesion molecule-1) or soluble IL6 receptor. Results are consistent with the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway and suggest that parasympathetic modulation of inflammation through the vagus nerve may act on specific inflammatory molecules more than others.
Keywords: Inflammation; autonomic nervous system; heart rate variability; immune system; vagus nerve.