Background Anxiety‐based disorders are common and are often chronic with an onset during childhood or adolescence. An emerging literature has examined the role of inflammation in these disorders by measuring blood concentrations of inflammatory markers such as cytokines, C‐reactive protein (CRP) and immune markers such as white blood cell counts. However, existing results are inconsistent, with available meta‐analyses only including adult populations. We believe this is the first systematic review and meta‐analysis to investigate these inconsistencies among the population of children and adolescents. Methods A systematic search of five electronic databases was conducted to identify studies which compared inflammatory markers between individuals with an anxiety‐based disorder and healthy controls. Study quality was assessed, and pooled effect sizes (Hedges’ g) were calculated using random‐effects meta‐analyses. Results Nine independent studies were identified. The combined meta‐analysis of 16 cytokines and CRP was approaching significance; however, no significant between‐group difference was observed for meta‐analyses of individual inflammatory or immune markers. Heterogeneity was high, and quality assessments identified important limitations; primarily, small sample sizes and a lack of control over confounding variables. Conclusions Although no significant effects were observed, the small number of included studies and limitations in study or reporting quality render these findings provisional. Research in this area has the potential for important clinical implications in relation to therapeutic interventions. Important recommendations for further research are put forth.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.