Trauma, impulsiveness and inflammatory dysfunction in eating disorders

Introduction Links between impulsiveness and eating disorders (ED) is widely studied. The relationship between stress response and inflammatory mechanisms in ED have also been suggested in several studies. Objectives To clarify role of impulsivity in ED and to relate it with inflammatory response observed in previous studies. Methods This study belongs to a larger one in which inflammatory parameters in white blood cells were investigated in 50 female patients with ED. Subjects were selected at the Eating Disorders Unit of a general hospital. The psychopathology of the disorder was evaluated by using different eating disorders assessment tools. A neuropsychological battery test was also applied. In this study, we used Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) to characterize impulsiveness. We also divided sample in subgroups: impulsive ED and non- impulsive ED in order to study differences in clinical variables and inflammatory response between groups. Results A significant increase in plasma levels of the proinflammatory cytokine IL1b that correlates with scores in BIS-11 (Cognitive impulsiveness) was showed. We also found correlation between psychoneurological test and inflammatory response. A relationship between clinical assessment: trauma questionnaire (TQ), and BIS-11 was also found. Subgroup impulsive ED had significant higher scores in trauma than non impulsive ED. Conclusions Impulsiveness correlates with greater dysfunction of the inflammatory system. The increases in plasma levels of IL1b are related to impulsive response, that indicates an inflammatory and oxidative-nitrosative status in this particular clinical settings. This study continued the investigation of a new line of inflammatory biomarkers in patients with eating disorders.