Anxiety disorders and CRP in a population cohort study with 54326 participants: The LifeLines study

Objectives – Growing evidence indicates that inflammatory processes may play a role in the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders. Nevertheless, much remains to be learned about the involvement of inflammation, including C-reactive protein (CRP), in specific anxiety disorders. This study examines the relation between anxiety disorders and CRP.

Methods – Associations of serum CRP with anxiety disorders were determined in a large population study (n = 54,326 participants, mean age = 47 years; 59% female), the LifeLines cohort. Depressive and anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety phobia, panic disorder with or without agoraphobia and agoraphobia without panic disorder) were assessed using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview.

Results – Anxiety disorders, with the exception of social anxiety disorder, were significantly associated with increased CRP. After adjusting for demographics, life-style factors, health factors, medication use, depression, and psychological stressors, CRP remained significantly associated with panic disorder with agoraphobia (beta = 0.01, p = 0.013). Moreover, CRP levels were significantly higher in people with panic disorder with agoraphobia compared to other anxiety disorders, independent of all covariates (F = 3.00, df = 4, p = 0.021).

Conclusions – Panic disorder with agoraphobia is associated with increased CRP, although the effect size of this association is small. This indicates that neuroinflammatory mechanisms may play a potential role in its pathophysiology.