Associations between childhood maltreatment and inflammatory markers

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.AimsTo 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.Declaration of interestD.A.C. and H.W. work for Eli Lilly Inc. R.N. has received speaker fees from Sunovion, Jansen and Lundbeck. G.B. has received consultancy fees and funding from Eli Lilly. R.H.M.-W. has received consultancy fees or has a financial relationship with AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Cyberonics, Eli Lilly, Ferrer, Janssen-Cilag, Lundbeck, MyTomorrows, Otsuka, Pfizer, Pulse, Roche, Servier, SPIMACO and Sunovian. I.M.A. has received consultancy fees or has a financial relationship with Alkermes, Lundbeck, Lundbeck/Otsuka, and Servier. S.W. has sat on an advisory board for Sunovion, Allergan and has received speaker fees from Astra Zeneca. A.H.Y. has received honoraria for speaking from Astra Zeneca, Lundbeck, Eli Lilly, Sunovion; honoraria for consulting from Allergan, Livanova and Lundbeck, Sunovion, Janssen; and research grant support from Janssen. A.J.C. has received honoraria for speaking from Astra Zeneca, honoraria for consulting with Allergan, Livanova and Lundbeck and research grant support from Lundbeck.

Keywords: Depressive disorders; inflammation; maltreatment.

Fig. 1

Detectable inflammatory markers. (a) Lowly expressed protein, < 1 pg/mL; (b) low–moderately expressed protein, 1 – 20 pg/mL; (c) moderate–highly expressed protein, 21 – 400 pg/mL; (d) highly expressed protein, 401 – 25,000 pg/mL; (e) very highly expressed protein, 25,001 – 100,000,000 pg/mL. Bars represent the mean and error bars represent the standard error of the mean. TNF, tumour necrosis factor; IL, interleukin; IFN, interferon; bFGF, basic fibroblast growth factor; PIGF, phosphatidylinositol glycan biosynthesis class F protein; MCP, monocyte chemoattractant protein 4; sFLT, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase; MIP, macrophage inflammatory protein; IP, induced protein; TARC, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 17 (also known as CCL17); VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor; MDC, macrophage-derived chemokine; Tie, tyrosine kinases with immunoglobulin-like and EGF-like domains; BDNF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor; sICAM, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule; sVCAM, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule; CRP, C-reactive protein; SAA, serum amyloid A.