The association between inflammatory markers and general psychological distress symptoms

Abstract

Objective: This study explored the association between low-grade inflammation measured using multiple common inflammatory markers and general psychological distress symptoms. Method: A total of 68,463 Korean adults were included. White blood cell counts with differential count, fibrinogen, C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin and rheumatoid factor were measured. General psychological distress symptoms were assessed using 18 questions of psychosocial well-being index short form (PWI-SF). Results: Among the eight inflammatory markers measured, WBC count, segmented neutrophil count, monocyte and CRP level were significantly and independently associated with broad psychological symptoms. In contrast, fibrinogen and ferritin showed a weak association with limited number of items. No significant association was detected with lymphocyte and RF. Conclusion: General psychological distress symptoms were associated with multiple inflammatory markers in Korean adults. The association patterns differed by the types of inflammatory markers. Additional investigation into the relationship between general inflammatory markers and diverse psychological distress symptoms is warranted.