| Title: | The inflammatory and genetic mechanisms underlying the cumulative effect of co-occurring pain conditions on depression |
| Journal: | Science Advances |
| Published: | 2 Apr 2025 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40173244/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adt1083 |
Publication 14856
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Abstract
Chronic pain conditions frequently coexist and share common genetic vulnerabilities. Despite evidence showing associations between pain and depression, the additive effect of co-occurring pain conditions on depression risk and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Leveraging data from 431,038 UK Biobank participants with 14-year follow-up, we found a significantly increased risk of depression incidence in individuals reporting pain, irrespective of body site or duration (acute or chronic), compared with pain-free individuals. The depression risk increased with the number of co-occurring pain sites. Mendelian randomization supported potential causal inference. We constructed a composite pain score by combining individual effects of acute or chronic pain conditions across eight body sites in a weighted manner. We found that depression risks increased monotonically in parallel with composite pain scores. Moreover, some inflammatory markers, including C-reactive protein, partially mediated the association between composite pain scores and depression risk. Considering the high prevalence of comorbid depression and pain, pain screening may help identify high-risk individuals for depression.</p>
16 Keywords
- Adult
- Aged
- Biomarkers
- C-Reactive Protein
- Chronic Pain
- Comorbidity
- Depression
- Female
- Genetic Predisposition to Disease
- Humans
- Inflammation
- Male
- Mendelian Randomization Analysis
- Middle Aged
- Pain
- Risk Factors
11 Authors
- Rongtao Jiang
- Paul Geha
- Matthew Rosenblatt
- Yunhe Wang
- Zening Fu
- Maya Foster
- Wei Dai
- Vince D Calhoun
- Jing Sui
- Marisa N Spann
- Dustin Scheinost
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 42009 | Genetic study of complex phenotypes |
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