A Salivary Cytokine Panel Discriminates Moods States Following a Touch Massage Intervention

Abstract

To construct a salivary cytokine panel that best reflects happiness and arousal levels associated with Touch Massage. The study utilized a cross-over design where forty healthy Japanese women were randomly assigned to receive a standardized Touch Massage (experimental) or no massage (control) initially. Questionnaires were administered at regular intervals to qualitatively assess the happiness and arousal levels during each session and saliva samples obtained concomitantly. The saliva samples were analyzed subsequently with a multiplexed immunoassay. Touch Massage interventions enhanced mood states and the effects were manifested in the varying levels of select salivary cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-9 and IL-17A. Receiver operating characteristic curves revealed that a combination of the two salivary cytokines showed excellent discriminant capability (area under the curve: 0.916) of positive mood states. The quantifiable relationships between touch sensation, immune mediators and emotional states could be useful for guiding practitioners delivering touch therapy.