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Childhood violence victimisation is an important risk factor for later psychiatric and medical conditions with inflammatory pathogenesis. In order to test if inflammation is a proximal mechanism contributing to these clinical effects, it is important to study inflammation levels in young people, closer to the victimisation experience. Furthermore, because genetic influences on inflammation levels can affect neurodevelopment and thereby increase risk for violence victimisation, it is important to consider the potential confounding role of genes. However, research so far has largely focused on adults and ignored genetic confounding.

We tested the association between a childhood violence victimisation and inflammation in 2232 members of the E-Risk Longitudinal Twin Study. Violence victimisation was assessed thought composite prospectively-collected measures from birth to age 18 years. Inflammation …