Activating the immune system includes the creation of cytokines, which help with inflammatory reactions to infections or pathogens in the body. While one of the main effects of the inflammatory responses is to make the physical symptoms of sickness, the activation of cytokines that help inflammation are involved in depression. This ends up being an expected outcome of early trauma. A study ended up providing evidence that supports the relationship between pro-inflammatory cytokines and heightened levels of depression and anxiety in adolescents. There have been higher levels of plasma antinuclear antibody titers found in sexually abused girls, which indicates that being exposed to that form of trauma and stress can discourage the body from suppressing B lymphocytes. This results in there being higher levels of antibody titers that are found in girls who are abused. Other studies have found that children who have been exposed to a more significant number of these adverse childhood risk factors had an increase in age-related disease risk in their adulthood. The increased activation of cytokines and dysregulation of the immune system, along with the other biological stress response systems that happen in response to early adversity, can end up leading to hypertension, accelerated atherosclerosis, metabolic syndrome, impaired growth and immune system suppression, and poorer medical health in adults who have child trauma histories.