Depressive symptoms are not associated with inflammation in younger and older adults in the Philippines.
Depression is positively associated with chronic inflammation in industrialized settings with low burdens of infectious disease, but the pattern of association in environments with higher levels of microbial exposure is not known. We measured C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin 6 (IL6) in community-based samples of young adults (20-22 years) and older women (35-69 years) in the Philippines. Concentrations of CRP and IL6 were low, and bivariate and multivariate regression analyses indicated no associations between depressive symptoms and inflammation in either sample. Results are interpreted in light of prior research indicating that higher levels of microbial exposure in infancy have lasting effects on the regulation of inflammation, and may prevent the emergence of a relationship between depression and inflammation in adulthood.
Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Cells to Society (C2S): The Center on Social Disparities and Health, Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; USC-Office of Population Studies Foundation, Inc., University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines; Carolina Population Center and Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Thomas W
TW
McDade
Judith B
JB
Borja
Linda S
LS
Adair
Christopher
C
Kuzawa
cardiovascular disease; developmental origins of adult disease; human ecological immunology; infectious disease; psychoneuroimmunology