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Elevated plasma inflammatory markers tied to aggression in IED

Elevated levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 are significantly correlated with aggression among patients with intermittent explosive disorder, according to recent study data in JAMA Psychiatry.

Of 197 study participants, 69 had intermittent explosive disorder (IED) at the time of observation, 61 either currently had Axis I and/or Axis II disorders or had them in the past, and 67 had no evidence of any psychiatric disorders. Among the participants with IED, 112 had an Axis I disorder, 125 had an Axis I disorder in the past, and 105 had an Axis II personality disorder.

Aggression and impulsivity were assessed through questionnaires and clinical interviews. Participants’ blood was tested to measure C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 levels.

Analysis showed that participants with IED had elevated levels of plasma inflammatory markers, which were directly linked to feelings of aggression. These findings establish that objective signs of systematic inflammation are associated with aggression and are present in those with IED. The researchers said, based on these study participants, the correlation between elevated levels of plasma inflammatory markers and aggression may indicate a history of suicidal behavior.

“Given that IED, a disorder of impulsive aggression, displays a 2% to 3% 1-year prevalence rate in the United States, and that currently available treatments bring less than 50% of those cases into remission, additional strategies for the examination and intervention of human impulsive aggression are needed,” study researcher Emil F. Coccaro, MD, of the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago, and colleagues concluded.

Disclosure: Coccaro reports being on the advisory board of Azevan Pharmaceuticals. Another researcher reports receiving a research grant from Azevan Pharmaceuticals.