Association of serum interleukin-6 with mental health problems in children exposed to perinatal complications and social disadvantage.
There is consistent evidence that inflammation is involved in mental disorders pathogenesis. Herein, using data from the High Risk Cohort Study for Psychiatric Disorders, we investigated the relationship between parental mood disorders (PMD), environmental factors, serum interleukin-6 (IL6) and mental health problems in children aged 6-12. We measured the serum levels of IL6 in 567 children. Information related to socio-demographic characteristics, mental health problems and multiple risk factors, as well as parent's psychiatric diagnosis, was captured. We evaluated two groups of environmental risk factors (i.e. perinatal complications and social disadvantage) using a cumulative risk model. Results showed that higher serum levels of IL6 were associated with PMD (RR=1.072, p=0.001), perinatal complications (RR=1.022, p=0.013) and social disadvantage (RR=1.024, p=0.021). There was an interaction between PMD and social disadvantage (RR=1.141, p=0.021), as the effect of PMD on IL6 was significantly higher in children exposed to higher levels of social disadvantage. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between IL6 and mental health problems (RR=1.099, p=0.026), which was moderated by exposure to perinatal complications or social disadvantage (RR=1.273, p=0.015 and RR=1.179, p=0.048, respectively). In conclusions, there is evidence of a differential inflammatory activation in children with PMD and exposure to environmental risk factors, when compared to matched peers. Systemic inflammation may be involved in the pathway linking familial risk and mental health problems.
National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents, CNPq, São Paulo, Brazil; PRISMA-Program for Recognition and Intervention in Individuals in At-Risk Mental State, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil; Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit (MDPU), University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. Electronic address: rodrigomansur71@uol.com.br.
Rodrigo B
RB
Mansur
National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents, CNPq, São Paulo, Brazil; PRISMA-Program for Recognition and Intervention in Individuals in At-Risk Mental State, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
Graccielle R
GR
Cunha
National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents, CNPq, São Paulo, Brazil; PRISMA-Program for Recognition and Intervention in Individuals in At-Risk Mental State, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
Elson
E
Asevedo
National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents, CNPq, São Paulo, Brazil; PRISMA-Program for Recognition and Intervention in Individuals in At-Risk Mental State, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
André
A
Zugman
National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents, CNPq, São Paulo, Brazil; PRISMA-Program for Recognition and Intervention in Individuals in At-Risk Mental State, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Psychiatry, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
Lucas B
LB
Rizzo
National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents, CNPq, São Paulo, Brazil; Institute of Biomedical Research, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Rodrigo
R
Grassi-Oliveira
National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents, CNPq, São Paulo, Brazil; Institute of Biomedical Research, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Mateus L
ML
Levandowski
National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents, CNPq, São Paulo, Brazil; PRISMA-Program for Recognition and Intervention in Individuals in At-Risk Mental State, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
Ary
A
Gadelha
National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents, CNPq, São Paulo, Brazil; PRISMA-Program for Recognition and Intervention in Individuals in At-Risk Mental State, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
Pedro M
PM
Pan
National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents, CNPq, São Paulo, Brazil; Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Medical Investigation, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Antônio L
AL
Teixeira
Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit (MDPU), University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Roger S
RS
McIntyre
National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents, CNPq, São Paulo, Brazil; PRISMA-Program for Recognition and Intervention in Individuals in At-Risk Mental State, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
Jair J
JJ
Mari
National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents, CNPq, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Luís A
LA
Rohde
National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents, CNPq, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Psychiatry, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Eurípedes C
EC
Miguel
National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents, CNPq, São Paulo, Brazil; PRISMA-Program for Recognition and Intervention in Individuals in At-Risk Mental State, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
Rodrigo A
RA
Bressan
National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents, CNPq, São Paulo, Brazil; PRISMA-Program for Recognition and Intervention in Individuals in At-Risk Mental State, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
Elisa
E
Brietzke
D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008603:Mental Health; D018743:Perinatal Care; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6
Children; Familial mood disorder; Inflammation; Mental health problems; Perinatal complications; Social disadvantage