Associations between childhood maltreatment and inflammatory markers.

Palmos, AB and Watson, S and Hughes, T and Finkelmeyer, A and McAllister-Williams, RH and Ferrier, N and Anderson, IM and Nair, R and Young, AH and Strawbridge, R and Cleare, AJ and Chung, R and Frissa, S and Goodwin, Laura and Hotopf, Matthew and Hatch, Stephani L. and Wang, Hong and Collier, David A and Thuret, Sandrine and Breen, Gerome and Powell, Timothy R (2019) Associations between childhood maltreatment and inflammatory markers. BJPsych Open, 5 (1): e3. ISSN 2056-4724

Abstract

Background Childhood maltreatment is one of the strongest predictors of adulthood depression and alterations to circulating levels of inflammatory markers is one putative mechanism mediating risk or resilience. Aims To determine the effects of childhood maltreatment on circulating levels of 41 inflammatory markers in healthy individuals and those with a major depressive disorder (MDD) diagnosis. Method We investigated the association of childhood maltreatment with levels of 41 inflammatory markers in two groups, 164 patients with MDD and 301 controls, using multiplex electrochemiluminescence methods applied to blood serum. Results Childhood maltreatment was not associated with altered inflammatory markers in either group after multiple testing correction. Body mass index (BMI) exerted strong effects on interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein levels in those with MDD. Conclusions Childhood maltreatment did not exert effects on inflammatory marker levels in either the participants with MDD or the control group in our study. Our results instead highlight the more pertinent influence of BMI.