Childhood inflammation linked to onset of mental disorders

Low-grade systemic inflammation during childhood and adolescence is associated with the subsequent development of mental disorders, according to a study. published online 21 aug. in JAMA Psychiatry.

Edward R. Palmer, MBBS, of the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, and colleagues examined inflammatory pathways, as measured by C-reactive protein (CRP), in children and adolescents using data from the United Kingdom-based Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children; inflammation was assessed at ages 9, 15, and 17 years. Data were included for 6,556 participants; outcomes were assessed at age 24 years.

The researchers identified three classes of inflammation: persistently low CRP levels (6,109 individuals) and persistently elevated CRP levels peaking at ages 9 and 17 (early peak, 197 individuals; late peak, 250 individuals). Compared with participants with persistently low CRP, participants in the early peak group had an increased risk of psychotic disorder (odds ratio, 4.60), a higher risk of major depression (odds ratio, 4.37), and higher Homeostasis Model Assessment scores (β = 0.05). No associations with outcomes were seen for the late peak group.

“This study provides novel information on the chronicity and timing of pre-disease inflammation and provides insight into the co-occurrence of related cardiometabolic disorders,” the authors write.

One author indicated ties to the pharmaceutical and health care industries.

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