C-reactive protein concentrations diverge as a function of substance use disorder: A pre-registered replication in a clinical sample

Abstract

BackgroundInflammatory biomarkers may differentiate clinical disorders, which could lead to more targeted interventions. Analyses within a clinical sample (May et al., 2021) revealed that females with substance use disorders (SUD) exhibited lower C-reactive protein (CRP) and higher interleukin (IL)-8 and −10 concentrations than females without SUD who met criteria for mood/anxiety disorders. We aimed to replicate these findings in a new sample. MethodsHypotheses and analyses were preregistered. Treatment-seeking individuals with mood/anxiety disorders and/or SUD (N = 184) completed a blood draw, clinical interview, and questionnaires. Participants were categorized as SUD+ (45F, 43M) and SUD- (78F, 18M). Principal component analysis (PCA) of questionnaire data resulted in two factors reflecting appetitive and aversive emotional states. SUD group and nuisance covariates (PCA factors, age, body mass index [BMI], medication, nicotine [and hormones in females]) predicted biomarker concentrations (CRP, IL-8, and IL-10) in regressions. ResultsIn females, the omnibus CRP model [F(8, 114) = 8.02, p <.001, R²-adjusted =.32] indicated that SUD+ exhibited lower CRP concentrations than SUD- (β = −.33, t = −3.09, p =.002, 95% CI [-.54, −.12]) and greater BMI was associated with higher CRP levels (β =.58, t = 7.17, p <.001, 95% CI [.42,.74]). SUD+ exhibited higher IL-8 levels than SUD- in simple but not omnibus regression models. ConclusionFindings across two samples bolster confidence that females with SUD show attenuated CRP-indexed inflammation. As SUD+ comorbidity was high, replication is warranted with respect to specific SUD classes (i.e., stimulants versus cannabis).