Associations between childhood maltreatment and inflammatory markers

Alish B Palmos; Stuart Watson; Tom Hughes; Andreas Finkelmeyer; R Hamish McAllister-Williams; Nicol Ferrier; Ian M Anderson; Rajesh Nair; Allan H Young; Rebecca Strawbridge; Anthony J Cleare; Raymond Chung; Souci Frissa; Laura Goodwin; Matthew Hotopf; Stephani L Hatch; Hong Wang; David A Collier; Sandrine Thuret; Gerome Breen; Timothy R Powell

doi:10.1192/bjo.2018.80

Associations between childhood maltreatment and inflammatory markers

BJPsych Open. 2019 Jan;5(1):e3. doi: 10.1192/bjo.2018.80.

Authors

Alish B Palmos¹, Stuart Watson², Tom Hughes³, Andreas Finkelmeyer⁴, R Hamish McAllister-Williams⁵, Nicol Ferrier⁶, Ian M Anderson⁷, Rajesh Nair⁸, Allan H Young⁹, Rebecca Strawbridge¹⁰, Anthony J Cleare¹¹, Raymond Chung¹², Souci Frissa¹³, Laura Goodwin¹⁴, Matthew Hotopf¹⁵, Stephani L Hatch¹⁶, Hong Wang¹⁷, David A Collier¹⁸, Sandrine Thuret¹⁹, Gerome Breen²⁰, Timothy R Powell²¹

Affiliations

¹ King's College London,Social,Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre,UK.
² Academic Clinical Senior Lecturer, Institute of Neuroscience, Wolfson Research Centre,Newcastle University,Campus for Ageing and Vitality;andNorthumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust,UK.
³ Associate Medical Director for Research, Leeds and York NHS Partnership Foundation Trust,UK.
⁴ Research Associate, Institute of Neuroscience, Wolfson Research Centre,Newcastle University,Campus for Ageing and Vitality,UK.
⁵ Professor of Affective Disorders, Institute of Neuroscience, Wolfson Research Centre,Newcastle University,Campus for Ageing and Vitality;andNorthumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust,UK.
⁶ Emeritus Professor, Institute of Neuroscience, Wolfson Research Centre,Newcastle University,Campus for Ageing and Vitality;andNorthumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust,UK.
⁷ Honorary Professor of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit,Manchester University and Manchester Academic Health Science Centre,UK.
⁸ Associate Clinical Researcher, Consultant Psychiatrist, Institute of Neuroscience, Wolfson Research Centre,Newcastle University,Campus for Ageing and Vitality;andNorthumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust,UK.
⁹ Professor of Mood Disorders, King's College London, Psychological Medicine,Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust; andNational Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience,the Maudsley Hospital and King's College London,UK.
¹⁰ Postdoctoral Research Associate, King's College London, Psychological Medicine,Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience; andNational Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry,Psychology and Neuroscience,the Maudsley Hospital and King's College London,UK.
¹¹ Professor of Psychopharmacology and Affective Disorders, King's College London, Psychological Medicine,Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust; andNational Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience,the Maudsley Hospital and King's College London,UK.
¹² Research Assistant, King's College London, Social,Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre; andNational Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, the Maudsley Hospital and King's College London,UK.
¹³ King's NIHR Global Health Unit Coordinator, Health Services and Population Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience,King's College London,UK.
¹⁴ Visiting Lecturer, Psychological Medicine,Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience,King's College London; andLecturer in Epidemiology, Department of Psychological Sciences,University of Liverpool,UK.
¹⁵ Professor of General Hospital Psychiatry, Psychological Medicine,Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience,King's College London,South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust; andNational Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience,the Maudsley Hospital and King's College London,UK.
¹⁶ Reader in Sociology and Epidemiology, King's College London,Health Services and Population Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience,UK.
¹⁷ Senior Research Scientist, Eli Lilly and Company,Lilly Corporate Center,USA.
¹⁸ Research Fellow, Eli Lilly and Company,UK.
¹⁹ Reader in Neuroscience and Mental Health, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience,Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience,King's College London,UK.
²⁰ Reader of Neuropsychiatric and Translational Genetics, Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King's College London; andNational Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience,the Maudsley Hospital and King's College London,UK.
²¹ Honorary Lecturer and Medical Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow, Social,Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King's College London,UK.

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.

Abstract

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