Early life adversity and inflammation in African Americans and whites in the midlife in the United States survey.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether early life adversity (ELA) was predictive of inflammatory markers and to determine the consistency of these associations across racial groups.


METHODS
We analyzed data from 177 African Americans and 822 whites aged 35 to 86 years from two preliminary subsamples of the Midlife in the United States biomarker study. ELA was measured via retrospective self-report. We used multivariate linear regression models to examine the associations between ELA and C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, fibrinogen, endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1, and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, independent of age, gender, and medications. We extended race-stratified models to test three potential mechanisms for the observed associations.


RESULTS
Significant interactions between ELA and race were observed for all five biomarkers. Models stratified by race revealed that ELA predicted higher levels of log interleukin-6, fibrinogen, endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1, and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 among African Americans (p < .05), but not among whites. Some, but not all, of these associations were attenuated after adjustment for health behaviors and body mass index, adult stressors, and depressive symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
ELA was predictive of high concentrations of inflammatory markers at midlife for African Americans, but not whites. This pattern may be explained by an accelerated course of age-related disease development for African Americans.
Slopen
Natalie
N
Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Lewis
Tené T
TT
Gruenewald
Tara L
TL
Mujahid
Mahasin S
MS
Ryff
Carol D
CD
Albert
Michelle A
MA
Williams
David R
DR
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003625:Data Collection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000097:blood; D004522:Educational Status; D054541:Family Conflict / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012923:Social Class; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D015415:Biomarkers; D019040:E-Selectin; D015850:Interleukin-6; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D002097:C-Reactive Protein