Children with Both Asthma and Depression Are at Risk for Heightened Inflammation

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Lilly Shanahan, University of North Carolina; William E. Copeland, Duke University; Carol Worthman, Emory University; Adrian Angold, Duke University; E. Jane Costello, Duke University
• Language: English
• Date: 2013-11-01
• Publisher: Elsevier: 12 months
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2013 Mosby Inc. All rights reserved.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.06.046
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Journal of Pediatrics
• ISSN: 0022-3476
• Volume: 163
• Issue: 5
• Start Page: 1443
• End Page: 1447
• Grant/Funding Information: Supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (MH63970, MH63671, MH48085, MH094605), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA/MH11301), Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (formerly NARSAD) (Early Career award to W.C.), and the William T. Grant Foundation.
• Keywords: Pediatrics; YOUTH; Science & Technology; CHILDHOOD; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; DISORDERS; C-REACTIVE PROTEIN
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Public Health; Psychology, Developmental

Abstract

Objective To test whether children and adolescents with co-occurring asthma and depression are at risk for elevated inflammation - concurrently and at the next assessment. Study design Up to 6 yearly assessments per person from the prospective, population-based Great Smoky Mountains Study (N = 1420) were used, covering children in the community aged 10-16 years old. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) was assayed from annual bloodspot collections and provided indicators of elevated inflammation at CRP > 1, CRP > 2, and CRP > 3 mg/L. Depression was assessed with the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment. Asthma was assessed using a form adapted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Health Interview Survey. Results Controlling common covariates of CRP, the co-occurrence of asthma and depression predicted heightened CRP - concurrently and at the next assessment. In turn, elevated CRP was relatively stable from one assessment to the next. Conclusions The co-occurrence of asthma and depression in childhood poses a risk for substantially elevated inflammation concurrently and over time, which could contribute to pathophysiological processes involved in the development of additional chronic diseases and also to asthma-related morbidity and mortality.