Elevated C-reactive protein levels across diagnoses: The first comparison among inpatients with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, or obsessive–compulsive disorder

<p>Elevated C-reactive protein levels across diagnoses: The first comparison among inpatients with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, or obsessive&ndash;compulsive disorder</p> <p>Objective: We addressed elevated C-reactive protein level (eCRP) specificity comparing, for the first time, eCRP (i.e., serum CRP &gt; 3 and &le;10 mg/L) in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), or obsessive&ndash;compulsive disorder (OCD). We also assessed to what extent multiple variables that can potentially increase inflammation may have influenced eCRP in our sample.<br> Methods: We performed a retrospective, observational, cross-sectional study using information documented in the electronic medical records (EMRs) of patients hospitalized for a 4-week psychiatric rehabilitation program. We collected all information according to the standardized procedures of the hospital&rsquo;s clinical practice and applied a logistic regression model (&alpha; = 0.05).<br> Results: We included 388 inpatients, that is, 156 (40.2%) with MDD, 135 (34.8%) with BD, and 97 (25.0%) with OCD, and found considerable eCRP rates among them (36.5%, 47.4%, and 29.9% in MDD, BD, and OCD, respectively) but without significant differences across groups. In the whole sample, eCRP variations were only partially attributable (approximately for one-third) to potential confounders. All groups presented considerable rates of cardiovascular risk factors, and we classified most patients as having medium or high CRP-based cardiovascular risk.<br> Conclusion: This first study comparing eCRP in MDD, BD, and OCD suggests that eCRP may be a transdiagnostic feature of different psychiatric disorders, and other mechanisms beyond the effects of multiple confounders may explain the presence of eCRP in a substantial portion of psychiatric patients. Therefore, we encourage the routine measurement of CRP in psychiatric clinical practice.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>