Depressive symptoms and C-reactive protein are not associated in a population-based sample of adolescents.

BACKGROUND

One potential mechanism to explain the association of depression and cardiovascular mortality is through increased inflammation. Adolescents typically have high levels of depressive symptoms, but the association of depression and levels of inflammation has not been examined within this age group.

PURPOSE

The objective was to study the association between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) concentrations and depressive symptoms in youth.

METHOD

Data were available for 1,535 adolescents aged 13 and 16 years obtained in a province-wide survey of a representative sample of youth in Quebec, Canada in 1999. Data on depressive symptoms were collected in self-report questionnaires. Participants provided a fasting blood sample, and anthropometric measures were undertaken by trained technicians.

RESULTS

For each unit increase in the depression score, the odds ratio for elevated hs-CRP (i.e., > or =90th percentile value of the age- and sex-specific CRP distribution) was 1.06 (95% confidence interval 0.79, 1.42) after adjustment for age, sex, ever smoked, language, body mass index, physical inactivity, use of medication, total cholesterol concentration, triglycerides concentration, and systolic blood pressure.

CONCLUSION

These data do not support an association between depressive symptoms and elevated CRP in adolescents.