Coping strategies and stress-induced natural killer cell redistribution in women with eating disorders

Causal associations between immune cells and psychiatric disorders: a bidirectional mendelian randomization analysis

Extensive researches illuminate a potential interplay between immune traits and psychiatric disorders. However, whether there is the causal relationship between the two remains an unresolved question. We conducted a two-sample bidirectional mendelian randomization by utilizing summary data of 731 immune cell traits from genome-wide association studies (GCST90001391-GCST90002121)) and 11 psychiatric disorders including attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorder, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), bipolar disorder (BIP), anorexia nervosa (AN), major depressive disorder (MDD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Tourette syndrome (TS), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia (SCZ), and substance use disorders (cannabis) (SUD) from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC). A total of four types of immune signatures (median fluorescence intensities [MFI], relative cell [RC], absolute cell [AC], and morphological parameters [MP]) were included. Effect estimates were obtained by using the inverse-variance-weighted (IVW), weighted median method, Mendelian randomization (MR)-Egger, and corrected by false discovery rate. Outliers were evaluated through the leave-one-out technique. Horizontal pleiotropy was assessed using the MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) and MR-Egger intercept tests. MR analysis results suggested several immune cell subtypes were casually associated with psychiatric disorders. It was found that CD33br HLA DR + CD14 - AC (Myeloid cell, AC) may contribute to decreasing the risk of BIP (odds ratio [OR] = 0.9179, confidence interval [CI] = 0.8829-0.9542, PFDR = 7.06 × 10-3), and likewise, CD38 on transitional (B cell, MFI) also showed negative causal effect on SCZ risk (OR = 0.9551, CI = 0.9330-0.9776, PFDR = 0.0441). While IgD - CD27 - %lymphocyte (B cell, RC) has causal effect on increasing BIP risk (OR = 1.0184, CI = 1.0079-1.0291, PFDR = 0.0201). In addition, HLA DR + + monocyte %monocyte (TBNK, RC) is likely to increase AN onset (OR = 1.0746, CI = 1.0324-1.1186, PFDR = 0.0506), and CCR2 on CD14 - CD16 + monocyte (Monocyte, MFI) may contribute to PTSD (OR = 1.0591, CI = 1.0275-1.0917, PFDR = 0.0369). Sensitivity analysis revealed consistency of results. Our research elucidates there may be causal links between immune traits and the onset of psychiatric disorders, which established a groundwork for the prospective clinical utilization of immune cells as markers for the diagnosis and early intervention of psychiatric disorders.

By what molecular mechanisms do social determinants impact cardiometabolic risk?

While it is well known from numerous epidemiologic investigations that social determinants (socioeconomic, environmental, and psychosocial factors exposed to over the life-course) can dramatically impact cardiovascular health, the molecular mechanisms by which social determinants lead to poor cardiometabolic outcomes are not well understood. This review comprehensively summarizes a variety of current topics surrounding the biological effects of adverse social determinants (i.e., the biology of adversity), linking translational and laboratory studies with epidemiologic findings. With a strong focus on the biological effects of chronic stress, we highlight an array of studies on molecular and immunological signaling in the context of social determinants of health (SDoH). The main topics covered include biomarkers of sympathetic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation, and the role of inflammation in the biology of adversity focusing on glucocorticoid resistance and key inflammatory cytokines linked to psychosocial and environmental stressors (PSES). We then further discuss the effect of SDoH on immune cell distribution and characterization by subset, receptor expression, and function. Lastly, we describe epigenetic regulation of the chronic stress response and effects of SDoH on telomere length and aging. Ultimately, we highlight critical knowledge gaps for future research as we strive to develop more targeted interventions that account for SDoH to improve cardiometabolic health for at-risk, vulnerable populations.

Expressive suppression a mediating variable between stress and procrastination in eating behavior disorder

Eating disorders (EDs) are psychiatric illnesses in which emotions play an important role in their development and maintenance. These disorders are associated with expressive suppression, stress, and procrastination. The purpose of this work was to explain eating disorders from stress and procrastination, with expressive suppression as a mediating variable. It was attended by 918 students from three universities in Ecuador. The information was collected through four instruments: inventory of eating disorders, perceived stress scale, Tuckman procrastination scale and emotional regulation questionnaire. The data was analyzed through a mediational analysis in the Jasp program, version 15. The independent variables were: procrastination and stress, the dependent variable was risk of experiencing bulimia (REB) and the mediating variable was expressive suppression. Procrastination and stress, mediated by expressive suppression, were found to have no statistically significant effect on EBR. Procrastination has a direct effect on REB, although stress does not, and the model between expressive suppression and REB explains a good percentage of the variance.