Relations between mucosal immunity and children's mental health The role of child sex

This study examines relations between children s salivary interleukin-6 ( IL-6) and secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) and mental health Child sex was considered as a moderator of relations Data were from 329 normally developing children (M age = 9 85 years SD = 98 years) 67% of children were European American and 33% were African American Saliva samples were obtained during the afternoon and assayed for SIgA and IL-6 Parents completed questionnaire measures of child internalizing and externalizing symptoms and children completed self-report measures of anxiety and depression Structural equation models were fit to the data and indicated that greater levels of salivary IL-6 and SIgA were associated with adjustment problems more strongly for girls than for boys (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved