Inflammation is known to be associated with adverse non-communicable diseases (NCDs). However, the most commonly used biomarkers in inflammation research (namely C-Reactive Protein and Interleukin-6) are potentially not valid measures of chronic and cumulative inflammation. This is because they respond to short-term, acute inflammatory changes in the body. This therefore limits our knowledge of the true association between chronic inflammation and NCDs, but also limits our understanding of the role certain exposures (such as adverse childhood experiences; ACEs) have on levels of chronic inflammation.
A novel biomarker GlycA may be a more reflective of chronic inflammation because it is not affected by short-term inflammatory changes, given that it is a composite biomarker. Therefore GlycA may be a more valid measure compared to previously used biomarkers. This project aims to use GlycA to investigate the causes and consequences of chronic inflammation more accurately, with a focus on mental health (such as depression). The project will collaborate with the work being done by Debbie Lawlor’s group investigating the association between GlycA and cardiovascular disease.