Positive childhood experiences and associations with plasma inflammatory markers in early adulthood

Positive childhood experiences (PCEs) have been associated with improved physical and mental health outcomes in later life, but how PCEs exert their impact is relatively unknown. We aimed to explore whether PCE exposure is associated with plasma inflammatory markers in early adulthood.

The study involved 2802 ALSPAC participants, who prospectively reported PCEs between the ages 0 and 17. PCEs were measured as a score from 0 to 10. The outcomes included age 24 soluble urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor (suPAR), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP). Linear regressions explored the relationship between total PCE score and the inflammatory outcomes. Individual types of PCEs and modification by number of childhood trauma experiences were subsequently examined.

No significant associations were identified between total PCE score and suPAR levels (β = -0.005, 95% CI [-0.016, 0.006]), TNF-α levels (β = -0.003, 95% CI [-0.027, 0.02)], IL-6 levels (β = -0.008, 95% CI [-0.035, 0.02]), and CRP levels (β = -0.006, 95% CI [-0.035, 0.022]) in early adulthood. 'High frequency contact with family and friends' was significantly associated with lower CRP levels even after adjustment for confounders (β = -0.13, CI [-0.24, -0.01], p = 0.03), but not multiple comparisons. No associations were found for the other types of PCEs. Trauma did not modify the PCE-inflammation relationship.

Overall, there was limited evidence for associations between PCEs and early adult inflammation. Future research is warranted to explore alternative mechanisms by which PCEs may impact distal health outcomes.