99. Plasma markers of inflammation are elevated in intermittent explosive disorder and as a function of aggression in human subjects

Abstract

Behavior can influence immune function, inflammatory activity, and psychological functioning; these relationships are often bi-directional. Aggressive behavior is associated with elevations in inflammatory mediators in animals, but few studies have examined these connections in humans. The present study explored relationships between aggressive behavior and serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), soluble interleukin-1B receptor type II (IL1BrII), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED), controls with Axis I and/or Axis II, disorders (Psychiatric Controls: PC), and subjects with no evidence of psychopathology (Healthy Controls: HC). Inflammatory markers were highly correlated with aggressive behavior, and impulsivity and aggression were highly related in all subjects ( p < .05). Each of the three inflammatory markers was correlated with life history of aggression (LHA) for all groups ( p s < .05). Among the psychiatric (PC and IED) subjects, higher inflammatory markers were associated with life history of suicidal attempts although further analysis showed that this was accounted for by LHA. Finally, IED subjects had significantly elevated levels of all three inflammatory markers compared to PC and HC ( p s < .05). These results suggest a relationship between aggressive behavior and inflammatory activity which is especially notable in patients with IED compared to PC and HC. Additional work is necessary to elucidate the significance of these findings for not only health and immunity but also for the management and treatment of IED.