Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Longitudinal associations between adolescents' individualised risk for depression and inflammation in a UK cohort study.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Latham, RM; Kieling, C; Arseneault, L; Kohrt, BA; Moffitt, TE; Rasmussen, LJH; Rocha, TB-M; Mondelli, V; Fisher, HL
Published in: Brain Behav Immun
March 2022

Inflammation is associated with poor physical and mental health including major depressive disorder (MDD). Moreover, there is evidence that childhood adversity - a risk factor for MDD - becomes biologically embedded via elevated inflammation. However, the risk of developing MDD arises from multiple sources and yet there has been little investigation of the links between individuals' constellation of MDD risk and subsequent inflammation. We therefore examined associations between individual risk for MDD calculated in early adolescence and levels of inflammation six years later. We use data from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally representative UK birth cohort of 2,232 children followed to age 18 with 93% retention. Participants' individual risk for developing future MDD was calculated at age 12 using a recently developed prediction model comprising multiple psychosocial factors. Plasma levels of three inflammation biomarkers were measured at age 18: C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and a newer biomarker, soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR), which is thought to reflect the level of systemic chronic inflammation. MDD risk scores calculated at age 12 were positively associated with levels of suPAR (but not CRP or IL-6) at age 18 after adjusting for key covariates (b = 1.70, 95% CI = 0.46 - 2.95, p = 0.007). Adolescents at high risk of MDD (risk scores ≥ 90th centile) had significantly higher mean levels of suPAR six years later than adolescents who had been identified as low risk (risk scores ≤ 10th centile) (b = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.18 - 0.64, p < 0.001). Findings support the notion that childhood psychosocial risk for MDD leads to increased levels of low-grade inflammation. If replicated in studies with repeated assessments of inflammation biomarkers throughout childhood and adolescence, these findings would support targeted interventions to reduce inflammation, as measured by suPAR, for adolescents at high risk of MDD to potentially prevent development of depression and physical health problems related to chronic inflammation.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Brain Behav Immun

DOI

EISSN

1090-2139

Publication Date

March 2022

Volume

101

Start / End Page

78 / 83

Location

Netherlands

Related Subject Headings

  • United Kingdom
  • Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery
  • Interleukin-6
  • Inflammation
  • Humans
  • Depressive Disorder, Major
  • Depression
  • Cohort Studies
  • Child
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Latham, R. M., Kieling, C., Arseneault, L., Kohrt, B. A., Moffitt, T. E., Rasmussen, L. J. H., … Fisher, H. L. (2022). Longitudinal associations between adolescents' individualised risk for depression and inflammation in a UK cohort study. Brain Behav Immun, 101, 78–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2021.12.027
Latham, Rachel M., Christian Kieling, Louise Arseneault, Brandon A. Kohrt, Terrie E. Moffitt, Line J. H. Rasmussen, Thiago Botter-Maio Rocha, Valeria Mondelli, and Helen L. Fisher. “Longitudinal associations between adolescents' individualised risk for depression and inflammation in a UK cohort study.Brain Behav Immun 101 (March 2022): 78–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2021.12.027.
Latham RM, Kieling C, Arseneault L, Kohrt BA, Moffitt TE, Rasmussen LJH, et al. Longitudinal associations between adolescents' individualised risk for depression and inflammation in a UK cohort study. Brain Behav Immun. 2022 Mar;101:78–83.
Latham, Rachel M., et al. “Longitudinal associations between adolescents' individualised risk for depression and inflammation in a UK cohort study.Brain Behav Immun, vol. 101, Mar. 2022, pp. 78–83. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2021.12.027.
Latham RM, Kieling C, Arseneault L, Kohrt BA, Moffitt TE, Rasmussen LJH, Rocha TB-M, Mondelli V, Fisher HL. Longitudinal associations between adolescents' individualised risk for depression and inflammation in a UK cohort study. Brain Behav Immun. 2022 Mar;101:78–83.
Journal cover image

Published In

Brain Behav Immun

DOI

EISSN

1090-2139

Publication Date

March 2022

Volume

101

Start / End Page

78 / 83

Location

Netherlands

Related Subject Headings

  • United Kingdom
  • Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery
  • Interleukin-6
  • Inflammation
  • Humans
  • Depressive Disorder, Major
  • Depression
  • Cohort Studies
  • Child