TY - JOUR
T1 - C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in people with eating disorders
T2 - A systematic review and meta-analysis
AU - Xu, Can
AU - Mutwalli, Hiba
AU - Haslam, Rowan
AU - Keeler, Johanna Louise
AU - Treasure, Janet
AU - Himmerich, Hubertus
N1 - Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
PY - 2025/1
Y1 - 2025/1
N2 - Studies suggest that there is a relationship between inflammatory diseases, inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and psychiatric disorders. In eating disorders, cross-sectional studies have recently examined peripheral CRP levels in blood serum and plasma, which allow a comprehensive meta-analysis. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined studies from three databases, measuring CRP levels in people with eating disorders, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A total n = 14 publications were included into the systematic review. Of these, n = 13 cross-sectional papers with N = 700 participants were meta-analysed, n = 11 in anorexia nervosa (AN) and n = 2 in binge eating disorder (BED). One study of the total n = 14 was narratively summarised because it was not suitable for inclusion into the meta-analysis. In the cross-sectional analyses, CRP levels were significantly lower in people with AN compared to health controls (HCs), but CRP level were higher in people with BED compared to HCs. Patients with AN appear to have lower CRP levels compared to healthy controls. This could be a result of malnutrition or specific nutritional deficiencies. Due to the reduced CRP levels in AN, patients might be at risk for bacterial infections or developing autoimmune diseases, and clinicians might fail to notice an inflammatory process or an infection. In contrast, patients with BED were found to have higher CRP level than healthy controls which might be a consequence of an inflammatory response triggered by overeating, disordered eating patterns and the consumption of low-quality food during binges.
AB - Studies suggest that there is a relationship between inflammatory diseases, inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and psychiatric disorders. In eating disorders, cross-sectional studies have recently examined peripheral CRP levels in blood serum and plasma, which allow a comprehensive meta-analysis. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined studies from three databases, measuring CRP levels in people with eating disorders, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A total n = 14 publications were included into the systematic review. Of these, n = 13 cross-sectional papers with N = 700 participants were meta-analysed, n = 11 in anorexia nervosa (AN) and n = 2 in binge eating disorder (BED). One study of the total n = 14 was narratively summarised because it was not suitable for inclusion into the meta-analysis. In the cross-sectional analyses, CRP levels were significantly lower in people with AN compared to health controls (HCs), but CRP level were higher in people with BED compared to HCs. Patients with AN appear to have lower CRP levels compared to healthy controls. This could be a result of malnutrition or specific nutritional deficiencies. Due to the reduced CRP levels in AN, patients might be at risk for bacterial infections or developing autoimmune diseases, and clinicians might fail to notice an inflammatory process or an infection. In contrast, patients with BED were found to have higher CRP level than healthy controls which might be a consequence of an inflammatory response triggered by overeating, disordered eating patterns and the consumption of low-quality food during binges.
KW - Humans
KW - C-Reactive Protein/metabolism
KW - Feeding and Eating Disorders/blood
KW - Anorexia Nervosa/blood
KW - Binge-Eating Disorder/blood
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85213494881&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.12.039
DO - 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.12.039
M3 - Review article
C2 - 39742796
SN - 0022-3956
VL - 181
SP - 653
EP - 662
JO - Journal of psychiatric research
JF - Journal of psychiatric research
ER -