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Background <p>Inflammatory markers are widely used clinically, yet their age-dependent interrelationships <!--Query ID="Q1" Text="Please check article title if captured correctly." Resolved="yes"-->remain incompletely characterized. This study analyzed 5,218 adults (mean age 43.7 ± 15.2&#xa0;years, 66.8% female) with elevated C-reactive protein (CR<i>P</i> &gt; 10&#xa0;mg/L) to investigate correlations between CRP, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), rheumatoid factor (RF), and immunoglobulin E (IgE). Participants were stratified into four age groups: 18–25, 26–38, 38–50, and 51 + years.</p> Results <p>CRP and ESR showed weak-to-moderate positive correlations <!--Query ID="Q2" Text="Please confirm if the author name was presented accurately. Otherwise amend if necessary." Resolved="yes"-->across all groups (<i>ρ</i> = 0.189, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001), strengthening with age, particularly in females 51 + years (<i>ρ</i> = 0.264). Critically, CRP-RF correlation was absent in all age groups below 51&#xa0;years but emerged significantly in older adults (females: <i>ρ</i> = 0.196, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001; males: <i>ρ</i> = 0.115, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.05), despite a gradual increase in RF positivity from 3.8% to 12.6%. IgE showed no correlation with inflammatory markers (CRP: <i>ρ</i> = 0.040, p = 0.109; ESR: <i>ρ</i> = 0.008, p = 0.756; RF: <i>ρ</i> = -0.009, p = 0.754), confirming complete independence from systemic inflammatory pathways.</p> Conclusions <p>This age-specific CRP-RF correlation emergence suggests subclinical <!--Query ID="Q3" Text="Please check if affiliation was captured and presented correctly." Resolved="yes"-->autoimmune activation or inflammaging in older adults. RF-positive individuals showed substantially elevated inflammatory markers (mean CRP 35.4 vs 20.5&#xa0;mg/L, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). The emergence of CRP-RF correlation specifically after age 50 represents a novel finding that challenges the interpretation of routine inflammatory panels and highlights the necessity for age-stratified reference frameworks when evaluating unexplained inflammation in clinical practice.</p>

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Age-dependent patterns of inflammatory and autoimmune markers: CRP-RF correlation emerges after age 50 in asymptomatic adults

  • 期刊论文

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月16日

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  • Bandar A. Suliman

摘要

Background

Inflammatory markers are widely used clinically, yet their age-dependent interrelationships remain incompletely characterized. This study analyzed 5,218 adults (mean age 43.7 ± 15.2 years, 66.8% female) with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP > 10 mg/L) to investigate correlations between CRP, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), rheumatoid factor (RF), and immunoglobulin E (IgE). Participants were stratified into four age groups: 18–25, 26–38, 38–50, and 51 + years.

Results

CRP and ESR showed weak-to-moderate positive correlations across all groups (ρ = 0.189, p < 0.001), strengthening with age, particularly in females 51 + years (ρ = 0.264). Critically, CRP-RF correlation was absent in all age groups below 51 years but emerged significantly in older adults (females: ρ = 0.196, p < 0.001; males: ρ = 0.115, p < 0.05), despite a gradual increase in RF positivity from 3.8% to 12.6%. IgE showed no correlation with inflammatory markers (CRP: ρ = 0.040, p = 0.109; ESR: ρ = 0.008, p = 0.756; RF: ρ = -0.009, p = 0.754), confirming complete independence from systemic inflammatory pathways.

Conclusions

This age-specific CRP-RF correlation emergence suggests subclinical autoimmune activation or inflammaging in older adults. RF-positive individuals showed substantially elevated inflammatory markers (mean CRP 35.4 vs 20.5 mg/L, p < 0.001). The emergence of CRP-RF correlation specifically after age 50 represents a novel finding that challenges the interpretation of routine inflammatory panels and highlights the necessity for age-stratified reference frameworks when evaluating unexplained inflammation in clinical practice.