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Kwon D, Knorr DA, Wiley KS, Young SL, Fox MM. Association of pica with cortisol and inflammation among Latina pregnant women. Am J Hum Biol 2024; 36:e24025. [PMID: 38050975 PMCID: PMC11062838 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.24025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Pica, the urge to consume items generally not considered food, such as dirt, raw starch, and ice, are particularly common among pregnant women. However, the biology of pica in pregnancy is not well understood. Therefore, this study aimed to assess how pica relates to endocrine stress and immune biomarkers in a cohort of pregnant Latina women in Southern California. Thirty-four women completed a structured pica questionnaire. Maternal urinary cortisol and plasma cytokine levels were measured between 21 and 31 weeks' gestation. Associations between pica during pregnancy and biomarkers were assessed using linear regression models adjusting for gestational age. Twelve (35.3%) of the pregnant women reported pica (geophagy and amylophagy) during pregnancy. In multivariate models, those who engaged in pica had higher levels of cortisol (β: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.073) and lower levels of IL-1β (β: -0.06, 95% CI: -0.11, -0.02), IL-8 (β: -0.30, 95% CI: -0.56, -0.05), IL-21 (β: -0.35, 95% CI: -0.63, -0.08), and type-1 inflammation composite (β: -0.29, 95% CI: -0.44, -0.14) than women who did not engage in pica. These results suggest that biological stress and immune response differ for women with pica compared to those without. This study suggests novel physiological covariates of pica during pregnancy. Further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms and temporality underlying the observed associations between pica and endocrine and immune biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dayoon Kwon
- Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Los Angles, California, USA
| | - Delaney A Knorr
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angles, California, USA
| | - Kyle S Wiley
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angles, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angles, California, USA
| | - Sera L Young
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Molly M Fox
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angles, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angles, California, USA
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Fox MM, Knorr DA, Kwon D, Wiley KS, Parrish MH. How prenatal cortisol levels relate to grandmother-mother relationships among a cohort of Latina women. Am J Hum Biol 2023; 35:e23883. [PMID: 36862026 PMCID: PMC10474942 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION As part of the human reproductive strategy, mothers receive childcare assistance from others. For kin, allomothers are adaptively incentivized to provide assistance due to inclusive fitness benefits. Previous studies across a broad range of populations identify grandmothers as particularly consistent allomothers. Minimal attention has been paid to the possibility that allomothers may begin investing in offspring quality during the prenatal stage of life. Here, we innovate within the area of grandmother allocare research by examining the prenatal stage of life and biopsychosocial mechanisms by which prenatal grandmother effects may be enacted. METHODS Data derive from the Mothers' Cultural Experiences study, a cohort of 107 pregnant Latina women in Southern California. At <16 weeks' gestation, we administered questionnaires, collected morning urine samples, and measured cortisol by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, correcting for specific gravity. We measured the soon-to-be maternal and paternal grandmothers' relationship quality, social support, frequency of seeing each other, communicating, and geographic proximity to pregnant mothers, that is, their daughters and daughters-in-law. These measures were self-reported by the pregnant mothers. We assessed how grandmother constructs related to the pregnant women's depression, stress, anxiety, and cortisol levels. RESULTS We observed benefits conferred by maternal grandmothers for mothers' prenatal mental health and lower cortisol levels. Paternal grandmothers also conferred mental health benefits to pregnant daughters-in-law, but higher cortisol levels. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that grandmothers, especially maternal grandmothers, are able to improve their inclusive fitness by caring for pregnant daughters, and allomother support may positively impact prenatal health. This work extends the traditional cooperative breeding model by identifying a prenatal grandmother effect, and, by examining a maternal biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly M. Fox
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095 USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095 USA
| | - Delaney A. Knorr
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095 USA
| | - Dayoon Kwon
- Department of Epidemiology, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095 USA
| | - Kyle S. Wiley
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095 USA
| | - Michael H. Parrish
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
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Ulziikhuu B, Gombojav E, Banzrai C, Batsukh S, Enkhtuya E, Boldbaatar B, Bellinger DC, Lanphear BP, McCandless LC, Nepomnaschy P, Salvante K, Weinberg J, Allen RW. Who benefits most from a prenatal HEPA filter air cleaner intervention on childhood cognitive development? The UGAAR randomized controlled trial. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 231:115991. [PMID: 37121346 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Air pollution exposure during pregnancy affects children's brain function. Maternal stress and nutrition, socioeconomic status, and the child's sex may modify this relationship. OBJECTIVE To identify characteristics of children with the largest increases in full-scale IQ (FSIQ) after their mothers used HEPA filter air cleaners during pregnancy. METHODS In this randomized controlled trial we randomly assigned women to receive 1-2 air cleaners or no air cleaners during pregnancy. We analyzed maternal hair samples for cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). When the children were 48 months old, we measured FSIQ with the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence. We evaluated ten potential modifiers of the intervention-FSIQ relationship using interaction terms in separate regression models. To account for correlations between modifiers, we also used a single regression model containing main effects and intervention x modifier terms for all potential modifiers. RESULTS Among 242 mother-child dyads with complete data, the intervention was associated with a 2.3-point increase (95% CI: -1.5, 6.0 points) in mean FSIQ. The intervention improved mean FSIQ among children of mothers in the bottom (5.4 points; 95% CI: -0.8, 11.5) and top (6.1 points; 95% CI: 0.5, 11.8) cortisol tertiles, but not among those whose mothers were in the middle tertile. The largest between-group difference in the intervention's effect was a 7.5-point (95% CI: -0.7, 15.7) larger increase in mean FSIQ among children whose mothers did not take vitamins than among children whose mothers did take vitamins (interaction p-value = 0.07). We also observed larger benefits among children whose mothers did not complete university, and those with lower hair DHEA concentrations, hair cortisol concentrations outside the middle tertile, or more perceived stress. CONCLUSION The benefits of reducing air pollution during pregnancy on brain development may be greatest for children whose mothers who do not take vitamins, experience more stress, or have less education.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Sarangerel Batsukh
- Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Enkhtuul Enkhtuya
- Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Joanne Weinberg
- University of British Columbia, Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Horan H, Cheyney M, Torres EG, Eick G, Bovbjerg M, Snodgrass JJ. Maternal hair cortisol concentrations across pregnancy and the early postpartum period in a Puerto Rican sample. Am J Hum Biol 2022; 34:e23718. [PMID: 35001460 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Hair cortisol is a noninvasive, long-term biomarker of human stress. Strengths and weaknesses of this biomarker as a proxy measure of perinatal stress are not yet well understood. Hair cortisol data were collected from pregnant women in Puerto Rico to investigate maternal cortisol level variance across pregnancy. METHODS In 2017, we recruited 86 pregnant women planning to birth at a large urban hospital. We aimed to collect four hair samples from each participant, one in each trimester and one in the postpartum period. RESULTS Median cortisol in the first trimester (n = 82) was 5.7 picograms/milligram (pg/mg) (range: 1.0-62.4). In the second, third, and postpartum periods, the medians were 6.8 pg/mg (1.0-69.5), (n = 46), 20.1 pg/mg (5.6-89.0), (n = 30), and 14.1 pg/mg (1.7-39.8), (n = 9), respectively. These medians disguise a 10-fold and 50-fold variability for two participants. Our sample sizes declined sharply when Hurricane Maria caused major disruptions in services and participants' lives. CONCLUSION Maternal hair cortisol concentrations were lower in the first and second trimester than the third trimester and early postpartum period. We also observed a wide range of variation in cortisol levels throughout pregnancy and in the postpartum period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly Horan
- Department of Anthropology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA.,Department of Anthropology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Melissa Cheyney
- Department of Anthropology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | | | - Geeta Eick
- Department of Anthropology, Global Health Biomarker Laboratory, University of Oregon, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Marit Bovbjerg
- Epidemiology Program, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - James Josh Snodgrass
- Department of Anthropology, Global Health Biomarker Laboratory, University of Oregon, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
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Conde A, Costa R, Figueiredo B. Anxiety and depressive symptoms effects on cortisol trajectories from pregnancy to postpartum: Differences and similarities between women and men. Horm Behav 2021; 128:104917. [PMID: 33387466 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety and depressive symptoms may influence cortisol trajectories in women and men during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Using a multilevel approach, anxiety and depressive symptoms effects on 24-hour urinary free cortisol trajectories from the 2nd trimester to 3-months postpartum were examined in a sample of 66 women and 65 men with no known psychosocial or medical risk (N = 131; 33 (50%) of them were couples that participated in the same assessment waves). Results showed that both anxiety and depressive symptoms influence women's and men's cortisol trajectories from mid-pregnancy to 3-months postpartum. Women with high depressive symptoms and men with high anxiety or high depressive symptoms exhibited less accentuated variations in the 24-hour urinary free cortisol trajectories compared with women with low depressive symptoms and men with low anxiety or depressive symptoms, respectively. These effects were significant for women's cortisol trajectories from the 2nd to the 3rd pregnancy trimester and for men's cortisol trajectories throughout the entire period. The effect of anxiety and depressive symptoms on HPA axis functioning and cortisol production during pregnancy and postpartum, seems to be sex-specific. Reproductive-related alterations (associated with gestation, parturition and lactation) in women's HPA axis functioning may explain these sex-specific effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Conde
- INPP - Portucalense Institute for Human Development, Portucalense University, Porto, Portugal; Psychology Research Center, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
| | - Raquel Costa
- Universidade Europeia, Lisboa, Portugal; EPIUnit, ISPUP - Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Bárbara Figueiredo
- Psychology Research Center, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
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Nepomnaschy PA, Rowlands A, Prescivalli Costa AP, Salvante KG. Socio-Ecological Challenges as Modulators of Women's Reproductive Trajectories. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ANTHROPOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-anthro-102317-045930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Amenorrhea, anovulatory cycles, miscarriages, and other reproductive outcomes are often seen as pathological. Life history theory, in contrast, treats those outcomes as adaptations that helped women optimize the timing of reproductive ventures across our evolutionary history. Women's bodies adjust their reproductive strategies in response to socio-ecological conditions, a process mediated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA). Here, we review the links between socio-ecological conditions, HPAA activity, and the pace of women's reproductive transitions such as puberty, age at first birth, interbirth interval, and perimenopause. We also discuss the HPAA's role as a modulator of reproductive function: It not only suppresses it but may also prime women's bodies for future reproductive ventures. We conclude by reviewing challenges and opportunities within our subfield, including the need for transdisciplinary teams to develop longitudinal studies to improve our understanding of women's reproductive trajectories and outcomes from the moment they are conceived.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo A. Nepomnaschy
- Maternal and Child Health Laboratory, Faculty of Health Sciences; and Crawford Laboratory of Evolutionary Studies, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada;, , ,
| | - Amanda Rowlands
- Maternal and Child Health Laboratory, Faculty of Health Sciences; and Crawford Laboratory of Evolutionary Studies, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada;, , ,
| | - Ana Paula Prescivalli Costa
- Maternal and Child Health Laboratory, Faculty of Health Sciences; and Crawford Laboratory of Evolutionary Studies, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada;, , ,
| | - Katrina G. Salvante
- Maternal and Child Health Laboratory, Faculty of Health Sciences; and Crawford Laboratory of Evolutionary Studies, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada;, , ,
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Send TS, Bardtke S, Gilles M, Wolf IAC, Sütterlin MW, Wudy SA, Wang R, Laucht M, Witt SH, Rietschel M, Streit F, Deuschle M. Prenatal maternal stress is associated with lower cortisol and cortisone levels in the first morning urine of 45-month-old children. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 103:219-224. [PMID: 30711899 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal stress (PS) has been related to altered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity later in life. So far, studies in children assessing HPA axis functioning have focused on salivary cortisol, reflecting daytime activity. The present work is part of a prospective study and aims to extend knowledge about the association between PS and HPA axis regulation in children. To do so, we investigated cortisol, cortisone, and the ratio cortisone/(cortisone + cortisol) in the first morning urine of 45-month-old children in relation to several measures of maternal stress during pregnancy. Urinary cortisol and cortisone were measured by online turbulent flow chromatography coupled with high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. PS was defined as: perceived stress for aim 1 (Perceived Stress Scale; n = 280); presence of self-reported (n = 371) and expert-rated psychopathology for aim 2 (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview; n = 281); continuous measures of anxiety and depression for exploratory aim 3 (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale; n = 280). Aim 1: Perceived maternal PS showed negative associations with cortisol and cortisone levels. Aim 2: The presence of expert-rated maternal psychopathology was associated with reduced morning cortisone. Aim 3: Continuous measures of anxiety and depression showed negative associations with cortisol and cortisone levels. After correcting for multiple testing, perceived maternal PS (aim 1) and prenatal level of anxiety (aim 3) were significant predictors of children's urinary cortisol and cortisone in the morning (and, in the case of cortisone, also prenatal level of depression). The ratio cortisone/(cortisone + cortisol) as a global marker for the balance between the enzymes metabolizing cortisol to cortisone and vice versa (11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases type 1 and 2; 11β-HSD1 and 2) was not associated with any measure of maternal PS (aims 1-3). The present study provides insight into possible programming effects of PS on nocturnal HPA axis activity and a proxy of 11β-HSD in a large sample. The results suggest that the nocturnal rate of cortisol production is lower in children exposed to PS, but do not support the hypothesis of divergent 11β-HSD activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- T S Send
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Germany.
| | - S Bardtke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - M Gilles
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - I A C Wolf
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - M W Sütterlin
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - S A Wudy
- Steroid Research and Mass Spectrometry Unit, Laboratory for Translational Hormone Analytics, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, Center of Child and Adolescent Medicine, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - R Wang
- Steroid Research and Mass Spectrometry Unit, Laboratory for Translational Hormone Analytics, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, Center of Child and Adolescent Medicine, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - M Laucht
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany and Department of Psychology, University of Potsdam, Germany
| | - S H Witt
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - M Rietschel
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - F Streit
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - M Deuschle
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany
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Barha CK, Salvante KG, Hanna CW, Wilson SL, Robinson WP, Altman RM, Nepomnaschy PA. Child mortality, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity and cellular aging in mothers. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177869. [PMID: 28542264 PMCID: PMC5444612 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychological challenges, including traumatic events, have been hypothesized to increase the age-related pace of biological aging. Here we test the hypothesis that psychological challenges can affect the pace of telomere attrition, a marker of cellular aging, using data from an ongoing longitudinal-cohort study of Kaqchikel Mayan women living in a population with a high frequency of child mortality, a traumatic life event. Specifically, we evaluate the associations between child mortality, maternal telomere length and the mothers’ hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA), or stress axis, activity. Child mortality data were collected in 2000 and 2013. HPAA activity was assessed by quantifying cortisol levels in first morning urinary specimens collected every other day for seven weeks in 2013. Telomere length (TL) was quantified using qPCR in 55 women from buccal specimens collected in 2013. Results: Shorter TL with increasing age was only observed in women who experienced child mortality (p = 0.015). Women with higher average basal cortisol (p = 0.007) and greater within-individual variation (standard deviation) in basal cortisol (p = 0.053) presented shorter TL. Non-parametric bootstrapping to estimate mediation effects suggests that HPAA activity mediates the effect of child mortality on TL. Our results are, thus, consistent with the hypothesis that traumatic events can influence cellular aging and that HPAA activity may play a mediatory role. Future large-scale longitudinal studies are necessary to confirm our results and further explore the role of the HPAA in cellular aging, as well as to advance our understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy K. Barha
- Maternal and Child Health Laboratory, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Katrina G. Salvante
- Maternal and Child Health Laboratory, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- Human Evolutionary Studies Program, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Courtney W. Hanna
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Child and Family Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Samantha L. Wilson
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Child and Family Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Wendy P. Robinson
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Child and Family Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Rachel M. Altman
- Statistics and Actuarial Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Pablo A. Nepomnaschy
- Maternal and Child Health Laboratory, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- Human Evolutionary Studies Program, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- Child and Family Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Nepomnaschy PA, Salvante KG, Zeng L, Pyles C, Ma H, Blais JC, Wen L, Barha CK. Variation in maternal urinary cortisol profiles across the peri-conceptional period: a longitudinal description and evaluation of potential functions. Hum Reprod 2015; 30:1460-72. [PMID: 25904636 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dev086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION How do women's first morning urinary cortisol levels, a marker of stress axis activity, vary during the peri-conceptional period (the 12 weeks around conception)? SUMMARY ANSWER First morning urinary cortisol follows an overall increasing trajectory across the peri-conceptional period, interrupted by 2 week-long decreases during the week preceding conception and the fifth week following conception. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Later gestational stages (i.e. second and third trimesters) are characterized by increasing levels of circulating cortisol. This increase is hypothesized to constitute a response to the energy demands imposed by fetal growth, and the development of energy reserves in preparation for nursing and performing regular activities while carrying pregnancy's extra weight and volume. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This study is based on a data set collected as part of a longitudinal, naturalistic investigation into the interactions between the stress (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA)) and reproductive (hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPGA)) axes. Biomarkers of HPAA and HPGA function were quantified in first morning urinary specimens collected every other day from 22 healthy women who conceived a pregnancy during the study. We analyzed the longitudinal within- and between-individual variation in first morning urinary cortisol levels across the 12-week peri-conceptional period. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Participants were recruited from two rural, aboriginal, neighboring communities in Guatemala. Cortisol, estradiol and progesterone metabolites (estrone-3-glucuronide and pregnanediol glucuronide, respectively) and hCG levels were quantified in first morning urinary specimens using immunoassays to determine time of conception and confirm pregnancy maintenance. Linear mixed-effects models with regression splines were used to evaluate the magnitude and significance of changes in cortisol trajectories. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Overall, maternal first morning urinary cortisol increased from 6 weeks prior to conception (geometric mean ± SD = 58.14 ± 36.00 ng/ml) to 6 weeks post-conception (89.29 ± 46.76 ng/ml). The magnitude of the increase between the pre- and post-conception periods varied significantly between women (likelihood ratio test statistic = 8.0017, P = 0.005). The peri-conceptional period is characterized by an increasing cortisol trajectory (+1.36% per day; P = 0.007) interrupted by a week-long decline immediately prior to conception (-4.02% per day; P = 0.0013). After conception cortisol increased again (+1.73% per day; P = 0.0008) for 4 weeks, fell in the fifth week (-6.60% per day; P = 0.0002) and increased again in post-conceptional week 6 (+8.86% per day; P = 0.002). Maternal urinary cortisol levels varied with sex of the gestating embryo. During gestational week 2, mothers carrying female embryos (N = 10) had higher mean cortisol levels than those carrying male embryos (N = 9) (t(17) = 2.28, P = 0.04). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Our results are based on a relatively small sample (n = 22) of women. However, our repeated-measures design with an average of 27 ± 8 (mean ± SD) data points per woman strengthens the precision of estimates resulting in high statistical power. Additionally, our study population's high degree of ethnic and cultural homogeneity reduces the effects of confounders compared with those found in industrialized populations. This higher level of homogeneity also increases our statistical power. However, since there may be small differences in absolute cortisol values among ethnic groups, the social and biological background of our sample may affect the generalizability of our results. General patterns of HPAA activity, however, are expected to be universal across women. Finally, as there is, to the best of our knowledge, no evidence to the contrary, we assumed that urinary cortisol levels reflect HPAA activity and that changes in gonadal steroids across the menstrual cycle do not affect the levels of free cortisol measured in urine. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS To our knowledge, this is the first longitudinal profile of basal maternal HPAA activity across the peri-conceptional period. A basic understanding of the normative (basal as opposed to stress-induced) changes in HPAA activity across this period is needed to accurately assess women's stress at this juncture. Importantly, changes in HPAA activity are likely to play a critical role in ovulation, fertilization, implantation, placentation and embryonic programing. Thus, this novel information should aid in the development of interventions aimed at preventing or moderating undesired effects of maternal physiological stress during the peri-conceptional period on reproductive outcomes as well as embryonic development. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS This research was funded by a CIHR IGH Open Operating grant (CIHR 106705) to P.A.N. and L.Z.; a Simon Fraser University (SFU) President's Start-up grant, a Community Trust Endowment Fund grant through SFU's Human Evolutionary Studies Program and a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Career Investigator Scholar Award to P.A.N.; an NSERC Discovery grant to L.Z.; a CIHR Post-Doctoral Fellowship to C.K.B. and an NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award to H.M. and J.C.B. The funding agencies had no role in the design, analysis, interpretation or reporting of the findings. There are no competing interests. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER Not applicable.
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Affiliation(s)
- P A Nepomnaschy
- Maternal and Child Health Laboratory, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6 Human Evolutionary Studies Program, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6
| | - K G Salvante
- Maternal and Child Health Laboratory, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6 Human Evolutionary Studies Program, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6
| | - L Zeng
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1
| | - C Pyles
- Maternal and Child Health Laboratory, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6 Human Evolutionary Studies Program, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6
| | - H Ma
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1
| | - J C Blais
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1
| | - L Wen
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1
| | - C K Barha
- Maternal and Child Health Laboratory, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6 Human Evolutionary Studies Program, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6
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24-h urinary free cortisol from mid-pregnancy to 3-months postpartum: gender and parity differences and effects. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 50:264-73. [PMID: 25247747 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2014] [Revised: 08/18/2014] [Accepted: 08/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pregnancy and postpartum have been associated to several physiological changes; however, empirical evidence was almost exclusively obtained in primiparous women and few studies focus on hormonal changes in men and second-time parents. The main aim of this study is to examine 24-h urinary free cortisol from mid-pregnancy to 3-months postpartum, comparing women/men and first/second-time parents. METHODS Twenty-six women and 22 men (N=48) were recruited from an antenatal obstetric unit in Porto, Portugal. 24-h urinary free cortisol was measured at the 2nd and 3rd trimester and at 3-months postpartum. Repeated measures analyses of variance were conducted, in order to analyze 24-h urinary free cortisol patterns of change over this period. Gender and parity were included in the analyses as potential modifiers, in order to compare women and men, and first- and second-time parents. RESULTS An increase from the 2nd to the 3rd trimester (p=.006) and a decrease from the 3rd trimester to 3-months postpartum (p=.005) were reported in all parents' 24-h urinary free cortisol. The interaction effects for Time*Gender (p=.03) and Time*Parity (p=.02) were found. Women and first-time parents revealed higher levels, while men and second-time parents showed lower 24-h urinary free cortisol levels at the 2nd trimester than at 3-months postpartum. CONCLUSIONS Findings appear to clarify the direction, as well as, the timing, gender and parity extension of 24-h urinary free cortisol changes from mid-pregnancy to 3-months postpartum. The same pattern of change in all parents' 24-h urinary free cortisol from mid-pregnancy to 3-months postpartum is consistent with the proposed role of hormones in preparation to parenting. Gender and parity differences and effects on 24-h urinary free cortisol are also consistent with cortisol as a stress biomarker for higher challenges associated to pregnancy and childbirth in women and first-time parents versus higher demands related to after childbirth parenting in men and second-time parents.
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Patacchioli FR, Tabarrini A, Ghiciuc CM, Dima-Cozma LC, Prete A, Bianchini C, Nicoletti F, Gozal D, Villa MP. Salivary biomarkers of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in children. Pediatr Pulmonol 2014; 49:1145-52. [PMID: 24474530 DOI: 10.1002/ppul.22972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2013] [Accepted: 11/03/2013] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The present pilot study was performed to evaluate the HPA axis and ANS activity by measuring salivary cortisol and α-amylase diurnal trajectory and production, respectively, in mild or moderate-to-severe (MS) OSA-affected, but otherwise healthy, children. Moreover, a correlative analysis was performed between the salivary biomarker concentrations and the PSG variables characterizing the OSA severity. METHODS We studied 27 consecutive OSA patients (13 mild OSA; 14 MS OSA) and seven healthy children who were enrolled as controls by collecting salivary samples and measuring cortisol and α-amylase levels using enzyme-linked bioassays. RESULTS Compared with controls, both mild and MS OSA children showed: (1) increased salivary cortisol diurnal production, (2) maintenance of the physiological circadian activity of the HPA axis, and (3) no changes in α-amylase diurnal trajectory and production. In addition, morning salivary cortisol concentrations was negatively associated with the disease severity in the MS OSA group. CONCLUSIONS OSA is associated with dysregulation of the HPA axis activity in children, the latter potentially underlying some of the adverse consequences of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca R Patacchioli
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "V. Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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12
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Chaitanya VS, Lavania M, Nigam A, Turankar RP, Singh I, Horo I, Sengupta U, Jadhav RS. Cortisol and proinflammatory cytokine profiles in type 1 (reversal) reactions of leprosy. Immunol Lett 2013; 156:159-67. [PMID: 24189521 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2013.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2013] [Revised: 10/11/2013] [Accepted: 10/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Cortisol levels in the circulation and at the sites of peripheral inflammation regulate type 1 (Reversal) reactions in leprosy akin to delayed type hypersensitivity reactions (DTH). In this study we determine the extent to which the differential mRNA expression of genes encoding cortisone-cortisol shuttle enzymes (11 β hydroxysteriod dehydrogenase I & II (11 β HSD I & II)), circulatory levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-7, IP-10, IL-17F, IL-23, TNF-α, IL-1β, PDGF BB and CRP) and cortisol are associated with development of type 1 reactions in leprosy. METHODS Urine, blood and incisional skin biopsy samples from site of lesions were collected from 49 newly diagnosed untreated leprosy cases in T1R and 51 cases not in reaction (NR). mRNA expression levels of genes encoding 11 β HSD I & II in skin biopsy samples were determined by realtime PCR. Cortisol levels from the lesional skin biopsies, serum and urine samples and serum proinflammatory cytokine levels were measured using ELISA. RESULTS The mean expression ratios of 11 β HSD I & II are significantly lower in leprosy cases with T1R when compared to the NR leprosy cases. Cortisol levels in lesional skin biopsies and in urine are significantly lower (p=0.001) in leprosy cases with T1R. Serum cytokine levels of IP-10, IL-17F, IL-IL-6 and TNF-α are significantly higher (p<0.05) in leprosy cases with T1R when compared the NR leprosy cases. CONCLUSION Our study indicated an association of urinary and lesional skin cortisol levels with the manifestation of T1R in leprosy. IP-10, IL-17F, IL-6 and TNF-α can be potential prognostic serological markers and gene expression markers for early detection of type 1 reactions in leprosy.
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Affiliation(s)
- V S Chaitanya
- Stanley Browne Laboratory, The Leprosy Mission Community Hospital, Nand Nagri, New Delhi 110093, India.
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