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Adult socioeconomic position, C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 in the Whitehall II prospective study

  • Cardiovascular Disease
  • Published:
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Abstract

Background Prior studies on the association of inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), with socioeconomic position (SEP) have been cross-sectional. Thus, the question of whether socioeconomic differences in CRP and IL-6 change over time remains unanswered. We examined the relationship between SEP and changes over 12 years in CRP and IL-6. Methods Data were for 4,750 middle-aged (mean 49.0 years, SD 5.9) civil servants from phases 3 and 7 of the Whitehall II study. Adult SEP was based on last known Civil Service employment grade. Covariates included sociodemographics, behavioural and biological risk factors, presence of diseases/illnesses, prescribed medications, work-related factors, labour market status and early life factors. Results Steep socioeconomic gradients observed at Phase 3 (p < 0.001) persisted in both CRP and IL-6 12 years later after adjustment for other risk factors. Adjustment for behavioural (diet and smoking), biological (mainly body mass index and total : HDL cholesterol ratio) and early life factors resulted in considerable attenuation but the inverse socioeconomic gradients remained statistically significant. Although CRP and IL-6 concentrations increased substantially over the 12-year period at every level of SEP, CRP and IL-6 did not change differentially according to SEP. Conclusion Despite overall increases in CRP and IL6, relative differences by SEP remained unchanged so that socioeconomic gradients in both sexes persisted over the period observed.

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Acknowledgements

Sources of funding: The Whitehall II study was supported by grants from the Medical Research Council; Economic and Social Research Council; British Heart Foundation; Health and Safety Executive; Department of Health; National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (HL36310), US, NIH; National Institute on Aging (AG13196), US, NIH; Agency for Health Care Policy Research (HS06516); and the John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Successful Midlife Development and Socioeconomic Status and Health. MGM is supported by an MRC research professorship and JEF is supported by the MRC (Grant number G8802774). The authors thank all participating civil service departments and their welfare, personnel, and establishment officers; the Occupational Health and Safety Agency; the Council of Civil Service Unions; all participating civil servants in the Whitehall II study; and all members of the Whitehall II study team. DG would like to specially thank Martin Shipley for his generous and always enlightening statistical advice.

Contributors: DG wrote the first draft of the paper and did all the analyses. Assays of CRP and IL-6 were performed in the laboratory of GDOL and AR. All the authors wrote and revised subsequent drafts. DG is the guarantor. MGM is the director of the Whitehall II study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Institute for Society and Health, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 6BT, UK

    David Gimeno, Eric J. Brunner, Michael G. Marmot & Jane E. Ferrie

  2. Division of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, UK

    Gordon D. O. Lowe & Ann Rumley

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  1. David Gimeno
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Correspondence to David Gimeno.

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Gimeno, D., Brunner, E.J., Lowe, G.D.O. et al. Adult socioeconomic position, C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 in the Whitehall II prospective study. Eur J Epidemiol 22, 675–683 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-007-9171-9

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