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Duarte M, Pedrosa SS, Khusial PR, Madureira AR. Exploring the interplay between stress mediators and skin microbiota in shaping age-related hallmarks: A review. Mech Ageing Dev 2024; 220:111956. [PMID: 38906383 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2024.111956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Psychological stress is a major contributing factor to several health problems (e.g., depression, cardiovascular disease). Around 35 % of the world's population suffers from it, including younger generations. Physiologically, stress manifests through neuroendocrine pathways (Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis and Sympathetic-Adrenal-Medullary (SAM) system) which culminate in the production of stress mediators like cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine. Stress and its mediators have been associated to body aging, through molecular mechanisms such as telomere attrition, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, chronic inflammation, and dysbiosis, among others. Regarding its impact in the skin, stress impacts its structural integrity and physiological function. Despite this review focusing on several hallmarks of aging, emphasis was placed on skin microbiota dysbiosis. In this line, several studies, comprising different age groups, demographic contexts and body sites, have reported skin microbiota alterations associated with aging, and some effects of stress mediators on skin microbiota have also been reviewed in this paper. From a different perspective, since it is not a "traditional" stress mediator, oxytocin, a cortisol antagonist, has been related to glucorticoids inhibition and to display positive effects on cellular aging. This hormone dysregulation has been associated to psychological issues such as depression, whereas its upregulation has been linked to positive social interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Duarte
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua Diogo Botelho 1327, Porto 4169-005, Portugal
| | - Sílvia Santos Pedrosa
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua Diogo Botelho 1327, Porto 4169-005, Portugal
| | - P Raaj Khusial
- Amyris Biotech INC, 5885 Hollis St Ste 100, Emeryville, CA 94608-2405, USA
| | - Ana Raquel Madureira
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua Diogo Botelho 1327, Porto 4169-005, Portugal.
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Ogłuszka M, Chen CY, Poławska E, Starzyński RR, Liput K, Siekierko U, Pareek CS, Pierzchała M, Kang JX. Elevated tissue status of omega-3 fatty acids protects against age-related telomere attrition in fat-1 transgenic mice. Clin Nutr 2024; 43:1488-1494. [PMID: 38718720 DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2024.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2024] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is a biomarker of aging that may be influenced by dietary factors. Omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FA) have been suggested to affect LTL. However, research on this effect has been inconclusive. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis about the positive effect of n-3 FA on LTL. METHODS Fat-1 transgenic mice, which can convert omega-6 fatty acids (n-6 FA) to n-3 FA and have elevated levels of endogenous n-3 FA in their tissues, were used to study the effects of n-3 FA on LTL at different ages. Blood samples from 10-month-old wild-type (WT) mice (n = 10) and fat-1 mice (n = 10) and 3-month-old WT mice (n = 5) and fat-1 mice (n = 5) were used to measure relative and absolute LTL. The levels of proteins critical for telomere maintenance were examined by Western blot analysis. RESULTS Fat-1 transgenic mice had longer leukocyte telomeres than their WT siblings, suggesting a slower rate of age-related telomere shortening in fat-1 mice. In animals aged 10 months, the LTL was significantly longer in fat-1 than in WT mice (mean ± SEM; relative LTL: WT = 1.00 ± 0.09 vs. fat-1: 1.25 ± 0.05, P = 0.031; absolute LTL: WT = 64.41 ± 6.50 vs. fat-1: 78.53 ± 3.86, P = 0.048). The difference in LTL observed in three-month-old mice was insignificant, however the mean LTL was still longer in fat-1 mice than in the WT mice. Fat-1 mice also had abundant levels of two shelterin proteins: TRF1 (27%, P = 0.028) and TRF2 (47%, P = 0.040) (telomeric repeat binding factor 1 and 2) compared to WT animals. CONCLUSION This study, for the first time in a unique animal model free of dietary confounders, has demonstrated that increased levels of n-3 FA in tissues can reduce telomere attrition. The data presented indicate the possibility of using omega-3 fatty acids to reduce accelerated telomere attrition and, consequently, counteract premature aging and reduce the risk of age-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Ogłuszka
- Department of Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzębiec, Poland.
| | - Chih-Yu Chen
- Laboratory for Lipid Medicine and Technology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ewa Poławska
- Department of Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzębiec, Poland
| | - Rafał R Starzyński
- Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzębiec, Poland
| | - Kamila Liput
- Department of Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzębiec, Poland
| | - Urszula Siekierko
- Department of Meat and Fat Technology, Prof. Wacław Dąbrowski Institute of Agricultural and Food Biotechnology-State Research Institute, Poznań, Poland
| | - Chandra S Pareek
- Department of Basic and Preclinical Sciences, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland
| | - Mariusz Pierzchała
- Department of Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzębiec, Poland
| | - Jing X Kang
- Laboratory for Lipid Medicine and Technology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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farrukh S, Baig S, Hussain R, Imad R, kulsoom O, Yousaf Rana M. Identification of polymorphic alleles in TERC and TERT gene reprogramming the telomeres of newborn and legacy with parental health. Saudi J Biol Sci 2024; 31:103897. [PMID: 38192544 PMCID: PMC10772381 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2023.103897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Telomere and telomerase genes (TERC and TERT) highlighted many novel genetic polymorphisms related to common diseases. This study explored the polymorphic alleles of TERC and TERT gene in parents-newborn (triad) and its association with telomere length (TL) and parental diseases (mother: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM), Preeclampsia, fathers: Diabetes, Hypertension). In this cross-sectional study, the blood samples (n = 612) were collected from parents-newborn triad (204 each) for TL (T/S ratio) quantification by using qPCR, and gene (TERC and TERT) polymorphism was detected by Sanger sequencing. The correlation analysis was used to find an association between paternal TL (T/S ratio) and newborn TL. The multivariate linear regression was applied to determine the effect of parents genes and diseases on newborn TL. A positive association (r = 0.42,0.39) (p < 0.0001) among parents and newborn TL was observed. In the diseased group, both TERC (rs10936599) and TERT (rs2736100) genes had a high frequency of allele C in newborns (OR = 0.94, P = 0.90, OR = 4.24, P = 0.012). However, among parents, TERT gene [Mother CC (B = 0.575; P = 0.196), Father CC (B = -0.739; P = 0.071)] was found significant contributing factor for Newborn TL. Diseased parents with T/T and A/C genotypes had longer newborn TL (2.82 ± 2.43, p < 0.022; 1.80 ± 1.20, p < 0.00) than the C/C genotype. Therefore, the study, confirmed that major allele C of TERC and TERT genes is associated with smaller TL in diseased parents-newborns of the targeted population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadia farrukh
- Department of Biochemistry, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan
- Department of Community Health Sciences, The Agha Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Saeeda Baig
- Department of Biochemistry, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Rubina Hussain
- Department Gynecology and obstetrician, Ziauddin university and hospitals, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Rehan Imad
- Department of Molecular medicine, Ziauddin University Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Ome kulsoom
- Department Gynecology and obstetrician, Ziauddin hospital, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Mehreen Yousaf Rana
- Department Gynecology and obstetrician, Ziauddin hospital, Karachi, Pakistan
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Lima SM, Ren X, Mu L, Ochs-Balcom HM, Palermo T. Food Insecurity, telomere length and the potential modifying effects of social support in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Public Health Nutr 2023; 26:3005-3012. [PMID: 37734859 PMCID: PMC10755437 DOI: 10.1017/s1368980023002008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Telomere length (TL) is a posited pathway through which chronic stress results in biological dysregulation and subsequent adverse health outcomes. Food insecurity is associated with shorter TL. Social support, which is defined by the size and function of an individual's social network, is associated with better health outcomes. The present study assesses whether social support modifies the relationship between food security and TL. DESIGN Cross-sectional study design. Linear regression was used to assess the association between food insecurity and TL, stratified by social support level. A multiplicative interacted model was used to formally test modification. SETTING Data come from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2000 and 2001-2002 waves. PARTICIPANTS Adults aged 60 years and older who have measurements for TL. RESULTS Our sample comprised 2674 participants, and 63·5 % of the total sample had low social support, with 13·3 % being food insecure. In fully adjusted models, food insecurity was negatively though modestly associated (P = 0·13) with TL. Associations between food insecurity and TL were significantly modified by social support (interaction P = 0·026), whereby food insecurity had a stronger effect among individuals with high social support (coefficient = -0·099 (95 % CI: -0·161, -0·038)) compared to low social support (coefficient = -0·001, (95 % CI: -0·033, 0·032)). CONCLUSION Food insecurity is modestly associated with shorter TL. Contrary to our hypothesis, food insecurity had more deleterious effects on TL among participants with high social support than low social support. Results may indicate that the food insecure population is a higher needs population, and increased social support reflects these needs rather than providing protective effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Lima
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY14214, USA
| | - Xuefeng Ren
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY14214, USA
| | - Lina Mu
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY14214, USA
| | - Heather M Ochs-Balcom
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY14214, USA
| | - Tia Palermo
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY14214, USA
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Houminer-Klepar N, Bord S, Epel E, Baron-Epel O. Are pregnancy and parity associated with telomere length? A systematic review. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2023; 23:733. [PMID: 37848852 PMCID: PMC10583451 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-023-06011-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Women's reproduction requires increased energy demands, which consequently may lead to cellular damage and aging. Hence, Telomere Length (TL), a biomarker of biological aging and health status may possibly serve as a biomarker of reproductive effort. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate telomere dynamics throughout pregnancy and the association between parity and TL. METHODS A systematic search was conducted across seven databases including CINAHL, Cochrane, PsycINFO, Proquest, PubMed; Scopus; and Web of Science, using keywords and MeSH descriptors of parity and TL. Predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to screen abstracts and titles. After the removal of duplicates, 3431 articles were included in the primary screening, narrowed to 194 articles included in the full-text screening. Consensus was reached for the 14 studies that were included in the final review, and the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS) was utilized to assess the quality of the selected studies. A mini meta-analysis utilized JASP 0.17.3 software and included 4 applicable studies, comprising a total of 2564 participants to quantitatively assess the estimated effect size of parity on TL. RESULTS Of the 11 studies reviewed on parity and TL, four demonstrated a negative correlation; one - a positive correlation and six -found no correlation. Studies demonstrating a negative correlation encompassed rigorous methodological practices possibly suggesting having more children is associated with enhanced telomere attrition. Of the four longitudinal studies assessing telomere dynamics throughout pregnancy, most found no change in TL from early pregnancy to postpartum suggesting pregnancy does not affect TL from early pregnancy to early postpartum. The meta-analysis revealed a negative, yet, non-significant effect, of the estimated effect size of parity on TL(ES = -0.009, p = 0.126, CI -0.021, 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Studies assessing pregnancy, parity and TL yielded mixed results, most likely due to the different research methods utilized in each study. Improvements in study design to better understand the short-term effects of pregnancy on TL and the effect of parity on TL over time, include precise definitions of parity, comparisons of different age groups, inclusion of reproductive lifespan and statistically adjusting for potential confounders in the parity and TL relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nourit Houminer-Klepar
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, 31905, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Shiran Bord
- Health Systems Management Department, The Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, 1930600, Yezreel Valley, Israel
| | - Elissa Epel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, 675 18th St, San Francisco, CA, 94107, USA
| | - Orna Baron-Epel
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, 31905, Haifa, Israel
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Montoya M, Uchino BN. Social support and telomere length: a meta-analysis. J Behav Med 2023; 46:556-565. [PMID: 36617609 DOI: 10.1007/s10865-022-00389-0] [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: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that lower social support is associated with higher all-cause mortality (Holt-Lunstad et al. in PLoS ONE Medicine 7:e1000316, 2010). While social support has been associated with system-specific biological measures (e.g., cardiovascular), there is the need to elucidate more general biological mechanisms linking social support to health risk across a number of diseases. In this meta-analytic review, the link between social support and telomere length (Cawthon et al. in Lancet 361:393-395, 2003) was conducted based on the updated PRISMA guidelines (Page et al., 2021). Across 17 studies, higher social support was not significantly related to longer telomere length (Zr = 0.010, 95% CI [- 0.028, 0.047], p > 0.05). The confidence interval indicated that the bulk of plausible values were small to null associations. Little evidence for bias was found as shown by funnel plots and Kendall's Tau. Moderator analyses focusing on the measure of support, health of sample, age, type of assay specimen, and gender were not significant. In conclusion, this review showed no significant relationship between social support and telomere length and highlights important future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariah Montoya
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Bert N Uchino
- Department of Psychology and Health Psychology Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA.
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Sommerlad A, Kivimäki M, Larson EB, Röhr S, Shirai K, Singh-Manoux A, Livingston G. Social participation and risk of developing dementia. NATURE AGING 2023; 3:532-545. [PMID: 37202513 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00387-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The increasing number of people with dementia globally illustrates the urgent need to reduce dementia's scale and impact. Lifetime social participation may affect dementia risk by increasing cognitive reserve, and through brain maintenance by reducing stress and improving cerebrovascular health. It may therefore have important implications for individual behavior and public health policy aimed at reducing dementia burden. Observational study evidence indicates that greater social participation in midlife and late life is associated with 30-50% lower subsequent dementia risk, although some of this may not be causal. Social participation interventions have led to improved cognition but, partly due to short follow-up and small numbers of participants, no reduction in risk of dementia. We summarize the evidence linking social participation with dementia, discuss potential mechanisms by which social participation is likely to reduce and mitigate the impact of neuropathology in the brain, and consider the implications for future clinical and policy dementia prevention interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Sommerlad
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK.
- Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
| | - Mika Kivimäki
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eric B Larson
- University of Washington Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Susanne Röhr
- School of Psychology, Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health (ISAP), Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kokoro Shirai
- Department of Social Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Archana Singh-Manoux
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
- Université Paris Cité, Inserm, U1153, Paris, France
| | - Gill Livingston
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
- Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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Farrukh S, Baig S, Hussain R, Imad R, Khalid M. Parental Genetics Communicate with Intrauterine Environment to Reprogram Newborn Telomeres and Immunity. Cells 2022; 11:cells11233777. [PMID: 36497039 PMCID: PMC9735452 DOI: 10.3390/cells11233777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeres, markers for cellular senescence, have been found substantially influenced by parental inheritance. It is well known that genomic stability is preserved by the DNA repair mechanism through telomerase. This study aimed to determine the association between parents−newborn telomere length (TL) and telomerase gene (TERT), highlighting DNA repair combined with TL/TERT polymorphism and immunosenescence of the triad. The mother−father−newborn triad blood samples (n = 312) were collected from Ziauddin Hospitals, Pakistan, between September 2021 and June 2022. The telomere length (T/S ratio) was quantified by qPCR, polymorphism was identified by Sanger sequencing, and immunosenescence by flow cytometry. The linear regression was applied to TL and gene association. The newborns had longest TL (2.51 ± 2.87) and strong positive association (R = 0.25, p ≤ 0.0001) (transgenerational health effects) with mothers’ TL (1.6 ± 2.00). Maternal demographics—socioeconomic status, education, and occupation—showed significant effects on TL of newborns (p < 0.015, 0.034, 0.04, respectively). The TERT risk genotype CC (rs2736100) was predominant in the triad (0.6, 0.5, 0.65, respectively) with a strong positive association with newborn TL (β = 2.91, <0.0011). Further analysis highlighted the expression of KLRG 1+ in T-cells with shorter TL but less frequent among newborns. The study concludes that TERT, parental TL, antenatal maternal health, and immunity have a significantly positive effect on the repair of newborn TL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadia Farrukh
- Department Biochemistry, Ziauddin University, Karachi 74600, Pakistan
- Correspondence: (S.F.); (S.B.)
| | - Saeeda Baig
- Department Biochemistry, Ziauddin University, Karachi 74600, Pakistan
- Correspondence: (S.F.); (S.B.)
| | - Rubina Hussain
- Department Gynecology and Obstetrics, Ziauddin University, Karachi 74600, Pakistan
| | - Rehan Imad
- Department Molecular Medicine, Ziauddin University, Karachi 74600, Pakistan
| | - Maria Khalid
- Department Gynecology and Obstetrics, Ziauddin University, Karachi 74600, Pakistan
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Woo JMP, Parks CG, Hyde EE, Auer PL, Simanek AM, Konkel RH, Taylor J, Sandler DP, Meier HCS. Early life trauma and adult leucocyte telomere length. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 144:105876. [PMID: 35939862 PMCID: PMC9446387 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Telomere length, a biomarker of cell division and cellular aging, has been associated with multiple chronic disease endpoints. Experienced trauma over the life course may contribute to telomere shortening via mechanisms of stress embodiment. However, it is unclear how patterns of co-occurring trauma during sensitive periods (e.g., early life) throughout the life course may influence telomere shortening. We examine the relationship between co-occurring early life trauma on adult telomere length and the extent to which adulthood trauma, socioeconomic position, and health and lifestyle factors may mediate this relationship. METHODS We use data from a sample of participants in the Sister Study (N = 740, analytic sample: n = 602), a prospective cohort of U.S. self-identified females aged 35-74 years at enrollment (2003-2009) for whom leukocyte telomere length was measured in baseline blood samples. Participants reported their experience of 20 different types of trauma, from which we identified patterns of co-occurring early life trauma (before age 18) using latent class analysis. We estimated the direct and indirect effects of early life trauma on leukocyte telomere length using structural equation modeling, allowing for mediating adult pathways. RESULTS Approximately 47 % of participants reported early life trauma. High early life trauma was associated with shorter telomere length compared to low early life trauma (β = -0.11; 95 % CI: -0.22, -0.004) after adjusting for age and childhood socioeconomic position. The inverse association between early life trauma and adult leukocyte telomere length was largely attributable to the direct effect of early life trauma on telomere length (β = -0.12; 95 %CI: -0.23, -0.01). Mediating indirect pathways via adult trauma, socioeconomic position, and health metrics did not substantively contribute the overall association. CONCLUSIONS These findings highlight the role of patterns of co-occurring early life trauma on shortened telomere length independent of adult pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M P Woo
- Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1240 N. 10th Street, Milwaukee, WI, USA; Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, 111 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Christine G Parks
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, 111 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Emily E Hyde
- Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1240 N. 10th Street, Milwaukee, WI, USA; Wisconsin Population Health Fellowship, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 610 Walnut Street, 575 WARF, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Paul L Auer
- Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1240 N. 10th Street, Milwaukee, WI, USA; Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Amanda M Simanek
- Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1240 N. 10th Street, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Rebecca H Konkel
- Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2400 E. Hartford Avenue, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Jack Taylor
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, 111 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Dale P Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, 111 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Helen C S Meier
- Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1240 N. 10th Street, Milwaukee, WI, USA; Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 426 Thompson St, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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Kim P, Chen H, Dufford AJ, Tribble R, Gilmore J, Gao W. Intergenerational neuroimaging study: mother-infant functional connectivity similarity and the role of infant and maternal factors. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:3175-3186. [PMID: 34849641 PMCID: PMC9618162 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab408] [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: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mother and infant neural and behavioral synchrony is important for infant development during the first years of life. Recent studies also suggest that neural risk markers associated with parental psychopathology may be transmitted across generations before symptoms emerge in offspring. There is limited understanding of how early similarity in brain functioning between 2 generations emerges. In the current study, using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined the functional connectivity (FC) similarity between mothers and newborns during the first 3 months after the infant's birth. We found that FC similarity between mothers and infants increased as infant age increased. Furthermore, we examined whether maternal factors such as maternal socioeconomic status and prenatal maternal depressive symptoms may influence individual differences in FC similarity. For the whole-brain level, lower maternal education levels were associated with greater FC similarity. In previous literature, lower maternal education levels were associated with suboptimal cognitive and socioemotional development. Greater FC similarity may reflect that the infants develop their FC similarity prematurely, which may suboptimally influence their developmental outcomes in later ages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilyoung Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208-3500, USA
| | - Haitao Chen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Alexander J Dufford
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Rebekah Tribble
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208-3500, USA
| | - John Gilmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA
| | - Wei Gao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
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Panelli DM, Leonard SA, Wong RJ, Becker M, Mayo JA, Wu E, Girsen AI, Gotlib IH, Aghaeepour N, Druzin ML, Shaw GM, Stevenson DK, Bianco K. Leukocyte telomere dynamics across gestation in uncomplicated pregnancies and associations with stress. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2022; 22:381. [PMID: 35501726 PMCID: PMC9063069 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-022-04693-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Short leukocyte telomere length is a biomarker associated with stress and morbidity in non-pregnant adults. Little is known, however, about maternal telomere dynamics in pregnancy. To address this, we examined changes in maternal leukocyte telomere length (LTL) during uncomplicated pregnancies and explored correlations with perceived stress. METHODS In this pilot study, maternal LTL was measured in blood collected from nulliparas who delivered live, term, singleton infants between 2012 and 2018 at a single institution. Participants were excluded if they had diabetes or hypertensive disease. Samples were collected over the course of pregnancy and divided into three time periods: < 200/7 weeks (Timepoint 1); 201/7 to 366/7 weeks (Timepoint 2); and 370/7 to 9-weeks postpartum (Timepoint 3). All participants also completed a survey assessing a multivariate profile of perceived stress at the time of enrollment in the first trimester. LTL was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to compare LTL differences within participants across all timepoint intervals. To determine whether mode of delivery affected LTL, we compared postpartum Timepoint 3 LTLs between participants who had vaginal versus cesarean birth. Secondarily, we evaluated the association of the assessed multivariate stress profile and LTL using machine learning analysis. RESULTS A total of 115 samples from 46 patients were analyzed. LTL (mean ± SD), expressed as telomere to single copy gene (T/S) ratios, were: 1.15 ± 0.26, 1.13 ± 0.23, and 1.07 ± 0.21 for Timepoints 1, 2, and 3, respectively. There were no significant differences in LTL between Timepoints 1 and 2 (LTL T/S change - 0.03 ± 0.26, p = 0.39); 2 and 3 (- 0.07 ± 0.29, p = 0.38) or Timepoints 1 and 3 (- 0.07 ± 0.21, p = 0.06). Participants who underwent cesareans had significantly shorter postpartum LTLs than those who delivered vaginally (T/S ratio: 0.94 ± 0.12 cesarean versus 1.12 ± 0.21 vaginal, p = 0.01). In secondary analysis, poor sleep quality was the main stress construct associated with shorter Timepoint 1 LTLs (p = 0.02) and shorter mean LTLs (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS In this cohort of healthy pregnancies, maternal LTLs did not significantly change across gestation and postpartum LTLs were shorter after cesarean than after vaginal birth. Significant associations between sleep quality and short LTLs warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M Panelli
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University, 453 Quarry Road, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA.
| | - Stephanie A Leonard
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University, 453 Quarry Road, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Ronald J Wong
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Martin Becker
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan A Mayo
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Erica Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University, 453 Quarry Road, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Anna I Girsen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University, 453 Quarry Road, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Nima Aghaeepour
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Maurice L Druzin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University, 453 Quarry Road, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Gary M Shaw
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Katherine Bianco
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University, 453 Quarry Road, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
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Mitchell AM, Kowalsky JM, Christian LM, Belury MA, Cole RM. Perceived social support predicts self-reported and objective health and health behaviors among pregnant women. J Behav Med 2022; 45:589-602. [PMID: 35449357 DOI: 10.1007/s10865-022-00306-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Perinatal health and health behaviors play a crucial role in maternal and neonatal health. Data examining psychosocial factors which predict self-reported health and health behaviors as well as objective indicators downstream of health behaviors among pregnant women are lacking. In this longitudinal study design with 131 pregnant women, perceived social support was examined as a predictor of self-rated health and average levels of sleep quality, health-promoting and health-impairing behaviors, and red blood cell (RBC) polyunsaturated fatty acids across early, mid, and late pregnancy. Participants provided a blood sample and fatty acid methyl esters were analyzed by gas chromatography. Measures included the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Prenatal Health Behavior Scale. Regression models demonstrated that, after adjustment for income, race/ethnicity, age, relationship status, pre-pregnancy body mass index, greater social support was associated with better self-rated health (p = 0.001), greater sleep quality (p = 0.001), fewer health-impairing behaviors (p = 0.02), and higher RBC omega-3 fatty acids (p = 0.003). Associations among social support with health-promoting behaviors, RBC omega-6 fatty acids, or gestational weight gain were not significant. Findings underscore the benefits of perceived social support in the context of pregnancy. Examination of pathways that link social support with these outcomes will be meaningful in determining the ways in which perinatal psychosocial interventions may promote health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Mitchell
- Department of Counseling and Human Development, College of Education and Human Development, University of Louisville, Woodford and Harriett Porter Building, 1905 South 1st Street, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA.
| | | | - Lisa M Christian
- Department of Psychiatry &, Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
- The Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Martha A Belury
- Department of Human Nutrition, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Rachel M Cole
- Department of Human Nutrition, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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13
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Braveman P, Dominguez TP, Burke W, Dolan SM, Stevenson DK, Jackson FM, Collins JW, Driscoll DA, Haley T, Acker J, Shaw GM, McCabe ERB, Hay WW, Thornburg K, Acevedo-Garcia D, Cordero JF, Wise PH, Legaz G, Rashied-Henry K, Frost J, Verbiest S, Waddell L. Explaining the Black-White Disparity in Preterm Birth: A Consensus Statement From a Multi-Disciplinary Scientific Work Group Convened by the March of Dimes. FRONTIERS IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH 2021; 3:684207. [PMID: 36303973 PMCID: PMC9580804 DOI: 10.3389/frph.2021.684207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2017–2019, the March of Dimes convened a workgroup with biomedical, clinical, and epidemiologic expertise to review knowledge of the causes of the persistent Black-White disparity in preterm birth (PTB). Multiple databases were searched to identify hypothesized causes examined in peer-reviewed literature, 33 hypothesized causes were reviewed for whether they plausibly affect PTB and either occur more/less frequently and/or have a larger/smaller effect size among Black women vs. White women. While definitive proof is lacking for most potential causes, most are biologically plausible. No single downstream or midstream factor explains the disparity or its social patterning, however, many likely play limited roles, e.g., while genetic factors likely contribute to PTB, they explain at most a small fraction of the disparity. Research links most hypothesized midstream causes, including socioeconomic factors and stress, with the disparity through their influence on the hypothesized downstream factors. Socioeconomic factors alone cannot explain the disparity's social patterning. Chronic stress could affect PTB through neuroendocrine and immune mechanisms leading to inflammation and immune dysfunction, stress could alter a woman's microbiota, immune response to infection, chronic disease risks, and behaviors, and trigger epigenetic changes influencing PTB risk. As an upstream factor, racism in multiple forms has repeatedly been linked with the plausible midstream/downstream factors, including socioeconomic disadvantage, stress, and toxic exposures. Racism is the only factor identified that directly or indirectly could explain the racial disparities in the plausible midstream/downstream causes and the observed social patterning. Historical and contemporary systemic racism can explain the racial disparities in socioeconomic opportunities that differentially expose African Americans to lifelong financial stress and associated health-harming conditions. Segregation places Black women in stressful surroundings and exposes them to environmental hazards. Race-based discriminatory treatment is a pervasive stressor for Black women of all socioeconomic levels, considering both incidents and the constant vigilance needed to prepare oneself for potential incidents. Racism is a highly plausible, major upstream contributor to the Black-White disparity in PTB through multiple pathways and biological mechanisms. While much is unknown, existing knowledge and core values (equity, justice) support addressing racism in efforts to eliminate the racial disparity in PTB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Braveman
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Paula Braveman
| | - Tyan Parker Dominguez
- USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Wylie Burke
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Siobhan M. Dolan
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | | | | | - James W. Collins
- Northwestern University School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Deborah A. Driscoll
- University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Terinney Haley
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Julia Acker
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Gary M. Shaw
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Edward R. B. McCabe
- David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | | | - Kent Thornburg
- School of Medicine, Oregon State University, Portland, OR, United States
| | | | - José F. Cordero
- University of Georgia College of Public Health, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Paul H. Wise
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Gina Legaz
- March of Dimes, White Plains, NY, United States
| | | | | | - Sarah Verbiest
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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14
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Page RL, Han G, Akinlotan M, Patron MP, Gandhi H, Kochan KJ. Telomere Length and Preterm Birth in Pregnant Mexican-Origin Women. Matern Child Health J 2021; 25:1798-1805. [PMID: 34390428 DOI: 10.1007/s10995-021-03209-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Despite the obstacles of limited education and employment opportunities-and the stress associated with immigration and pregnancy-Mexican immigrant women have low rates of preterm birth (PTB) compared to the US national average for all races and ethnicities. Stressors during pregnancy, and stressors associated with acculturation, may accelerate cellular aging manifested by shortened telomere length (TL) in pregnant women. Our objectives were to: (1) determine whether women with PTBs had shorter telomere lengths compared to women who had full term births; (2) assess the association of acculturation with TL and PTB. METHODS This prospective pilot study collected data from 100 self-identified Mexican-origin pregnant women. Survey data included self-administered sociodemographic and acculturation measures and was collected from participants via paper and pen, while biologic data was collected via a single blood draw during a regularly scheduled prenatal visit between 26 and 36 weeks gestation. PTB data was collected from the participant's medical record after delivery. RESULTS TL was significantly associated with PTB; the median TL of the women with PTB was less than the median TL for the full sample (p = 0.02). Based on regression analysis for PTB vs acculturation, we found no significant associations between acculturation and PTB or TL. CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE This study provides important evidence of the association between shortened maternal TL and adverse birth outcomes. By linking social, clinical and biologic data, we can enhance our understanding of social determinants that may affect racial and ethnic disparities in preterm birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin L Page
- Texas A&M University College of Nursing, 1359 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
| | - Gang Han
- School of Public Health, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Marvellous Akinlotan
- Texas A&M University College of Nursing, 1359 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | | | - Heta Gandhi
- Texas A&M University School of Public Health, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Kelli J Kochan
- Texas A&M University Institute for Genome Sciences and Society Experimental Genomics Laboratory, College Station, TX, USA
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15
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Connor JB, Janusek LW. A Biopsychosocial Framework to Examine Risk for Type 2 Diabetes in Asian Pacific Islander Immigrants. Res Theory Nurs Pract 2021; 35:82-96. [PMID: 33632924 DOI: 10.1891/rtnp-d-19-00132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
There is large disparity in the incidence of Type 2 diabetes (T2D) for Asian Pacific Islanders (APIs), one of the fastest growing minority populations in the United States. It is critical to examine biopsychosocial pathways and vulnerability factors that intensify risk for T2D in API. Increasing evidence links chronic stress to poor health outcomes and accelerated development and progression of diseases of aging, such as diabetes. Immigrant populations face unique life stressors, including the challenges associated with the process of adapting to a new environment, new language, and cultural differences. In addition, immigrants experience high levels of psychological distress related to changes of identity and values, loss of support, discrimination, and disempowerment. The purpose of this article is to propose a biopsychosocial framework to explicate potential mechanistic pathways that link cumulative life stress to risk for T2D in the API immigrant population. Unique to the proposed framework is the emphasis on inflammatory processes and accelerated cellular aging (telomere biology). A deeper understanding of biopsychosocial pathways can lead to tailored and targeted interventions to reduce the incidence of T2D in the API immigrant population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorgia B Connor
- Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL
| | - Linda W Janusek
- Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL
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16
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Verner G, Epel E, Lahti-Pulkkinen M, Kajantie E, Buss C, Lin J, Blackburn E, Räikkönen K, Wadhwa PD, Entringer S. Maternal Psychological Resilience During Pregnancy and Newborn Telomere Length: A Prospective Study. Am J Psychiatry 2021; 178:183-192. [PMID: 32911996 PMCID: PMC7855094 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.19101003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In the context of the importance of elucidating the determinants of the initial, newborn setting of telomere length (TL), it is increasingly evident that maternal stress and stress-related processes during pregnancy play a major role. Although psychological resilience may function as a buffer, research in this area has not yet examined its potential role vis-à-vis that of stress. The authors examined the relationship between maternal psychological resilience during pregnancy and newborn TL. METHODS In a sample of 656 mother-child dyads from the Prediction and Prevention of Preeclampsia and Intrauterine Growth Restriction cohort, multiple serial assessments were conducted over the course of pregnancy to quantify maternal stress, negative and positive emotional responses to pregnancy events, positive affect, and perceived social support. Principal component analysis identified two latent factors: stress and positivity. A measure of resilience was computed by regressing the positivity factor on the stress factor, in order to quantify positivity after accounting for stress. TL was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction in leukocytes extracted from cord blood shortly after birth. Linear regression was used to predict newborn TL from maternal resilience during pregnancy, adjusting for other potential determinants. RESULTS Maternal stress significantly predicted shorter newborn TL (β=-0.079), and positivity significantly predicted longer TL (β=0.135). Maternal resilience (positivity accounting for stress) was significantly and positively associated with newborn TL (β=0.114, 95% CI=0.035, 0.189), with each standard deviation increase in resilience predicting 12% longer newborn TL. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that maternal psychological resilience may exert a salubrious effect on offspring telomere biology and highlight the importance of enhancing maternal mental health and well-being during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenn Verner
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Institute of Medical Psychology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Elissa Epel
- Department of Psychiatry, San Francisco School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Eero Kajantie
- Department of Public Health Solutions, THL National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki and Oulu, Finland,PEDEGO Research Unit, MRC Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland,Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway,Children’s Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Claudia Buss
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Institute of Medical Psychology, Berlin, Germany,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California,UC Irvine Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Elizabeth Blackburn
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Katri Räikkönen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pathik D. Wadhwa
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California,UC Irvine Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California,Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, California, USA,Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, California, USA,Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Sonja Entringer
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Institute of Medical Psychology, Berlin, Germany,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California,UC Irvine Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
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17
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Nsereko E, Uwase A, Muvunyi CM, Rulisa S, Ntirushwa D, Moreland P, Corwin EJ, Santos N, Lin J, Chen JL, Nzayirambaho M, Wojcicki JM. Association between micronutrients and maternal leukocyte telomere length in early pregnancy in Rwanda. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2020; 20:692. [PMID: 33187486 PMCID: PMC7664098 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-020-03330-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to environmental stressors can lead to shorter leukocyte telomere length and increase the risk of chronic diseases. Preservation of leukocyte telomere length by reducing oxidative stress exposure and reinforcing immunity may be a mechanism by which nutritional factors delay or prevent chronic disease development. METHODS Healthy pregnant women (aged 18-45 years) at 9-15 weeks of gestation living in Gasabo District, Kigali, Rwanda, were recruited from 10 health centers for a prospective, longitudinal study from September to October 2017 to determine possible associations between nutrition health, infectious disease and leukocyte telomere length. Anthropometric and laboratory measurements were performed using standard procedures; sociodemographic parameters and health histories were assessed via surveys, and leukocyte telomere length was assessed using quantitative PCR expressed as the ratio of a telomeric product to a single-copy gene product (T/S). RESULTS Mean gestational age of participants (n = 297) at enrollment was 13.04 ± 3.50 weeks, age was 28.16 ± 6.10 years and leukocyte telomere length was 1.16 ± 0.22 (T/S). Younger age; no schooling vs. primary schooling; and lower levels of ferritin, soluble transferrin receptors and retinol-binding protein were independent predictors of longer telomere length in multivariable models. CONCLUSIONS Leukocyte telomere length is an indicator of biological aging in pregnant Rwandan women. Maternal micronutrient status, specifically lower ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor levels, and retinol-binding protein levels were associated with longer maternal telomere length in contrast with some studies from North America and Europe. There were no associations between inflammation and infectious disease status and maternal leukocyte telomere length. Further studies are needed to enhance our understanding of the interplay between maternal nutritional status and infectious disease in relation to leukocyte telomere length in developing countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Nsereko
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences School of Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, P.O. Box: 3538, Kigali, Rwanda.
| | - Aline Uwase
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences School of Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, P.O. Box: 3538, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Claude Mambo Muvunyi
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences School of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Rwanda, P.O. Box: 3538, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Stephen Rulisa
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences School of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Rwanda, P.O. Box: 3538, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - David Ntirushwa
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences School of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Rwanda, P.O. Box: 3538, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Patricia Moreland
- Emory University, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Nicole Santos
- University of California San Francisco, Institute for Global Health Sciences, San Francisco, USA
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Jyu-Lin Chen
- Departmentof Family Health Care Nursing, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Manasse Nzayirambaho
- University of Rwanda College of Medicine and Health Sciences School of Public Health, P.O. Box: 3538, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Janet M Wojcicki
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA.
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, 550 16th Street, San Francisco, CA, 941558, USA.
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18
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Normando P, Bezerra FF, Santana BA, Calado RT, Santos-Rebouças CB, Epel ES, Faerstein E. Association between socioeconomic markers and adult telomere length differs according to sex: Pro-Saúde study. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 53:e10223. [PMID: 33053112 PMCID: PMC7552895 DOI: 10.1590/1414-431x202010223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the social determinants of telomere length is critical to evaluate the risk of early biological aging. We investigated sex differences on the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and demographic markers and leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in Brazilian adults. This cross-sectional study was conducted in a subsample (women=228; men=200) nested within the Pro-Saúde study, a prospective cohort study of university civil servants in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2012-2013). Adjusted multivariate models were used to test the relationship between SES markers (marital status, educational attainment, father's educational attainment, race/skin color, household income, and childhood experience of food deprivation) and LTL. After adjusting for age and potential health-related confounders, lower educational attainment was associated with shorter LTL among men (β=-0.05, 95% confidence interval (CI)=95%CI: -0.10, 0.00, P=0.03). In women, LTL was inversely associated with unmarried status (β=-0.05, 95%CI: -0.09, 0.00, P=0.03), lower father's educational attainment (β=-0.05, 95%CI: -0.13, 0.00, P=0.04), and childhood experience of food deprivation (β=-0.07, 95%CI: -0.13, 0.00, P=0.04). Our findings suggested that the association between SES markers and LTL differs according to sex. SES markers able to induce lifelong stress, reflected in LTL, appeared to be more related to individual factors in men, whereas in women they were family-related.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Normando
- Instituto de Nutrição, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - F F Bezerra
- Instituto de Nutrição, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - B A Santana
- Departamento de Imagens Médicas, Hematologia e Oncologia Clínica, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil
| | - R T Calado
- Departamento de Imagens Médicas, Hematologia e Oncologia Clínica, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil
| | - C B Santos-Rebouças
- Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - E S Epel
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - E Faerstein
- Instituto de Medicina Social, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
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19
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Martens DS, Janssen BG, Bijnens EM, Clemente DBP, Vineis P, Plusquin M, Nawrot TS. Association of Parental Socioeconomic Status and Newborn Telomere Length. JAMA Netw Open 2020; 3:e204057. [PMID: 32364595 PMCID: PMC7199116 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.4057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Low socioeconomic status is associated with higher all-cause mortality and risks for aging-related diseases. Biological aging is a potential process underlying health conditions related to social disadvantages, which may be present from birth onward. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association of parental socioeconomic status with telomere length (TL) at birth, a marker of biological aging. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This prospective birth cohort study was conducted among 1504 mother-newborn pairs in Belgium recruited between February 1, 2010, and July 1, 2017. EXPOSURES Parental socioeconomic measures, including maternal educational level, occupation, paternal educational level, and neighborhood income based on median annual household income. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Mean relative TL was measured in cord blood and placental tissue. By constructing a principal component, an integrative socioeconomic measure was derived that integrates parental socioeconomic status and neighborhood income. Multivariable adjusted regression analyses were performed to associate the integrative socioeconomic measure and TL at birth. RESULTS In 1026 newborns (517 boys; mean [SD] gestational age, 39.2 [1.4] weeks), a higher socioeconomic status was associated with longer cord blood TL and placental TL. Each unit increment in the integrative socioeconomic status measure was associated with 2.1% (95% CI, 0.9%-3.4%; P < .001) longer cord blood TL in boys, while no association was observed for girls (0.5% longer cord blood TL; 95% CI, -0.9% to 1.8%; P = .50). The sex-specific socioeconomic status interaction revealed a stronger association in boys compared with newborn girls (1.6%; 95% CI, 0.02%-3.3%; P = .047 for interaction). In placental tissue, higher socioeconomic status was associated with 1.8% (95% CI, 0.3%-3.3%; P = .02) longer TL in newborn boys but not in girls (0.4% longer TL; 95% CI, -1.2% to 2.0%; P = .63). For placental tissue, no sex and socioeconomic status interaction on TL was observed (1.4%; 95% CI, -0.5% to 3.4%; P = .16 for interaction). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This study suggests that parental socioeconomic status is associated with newborn TL, especially in boys. The results indicate that familial social economic factors are associated with the potential cellular longevity of the next generation, with a potential higher transgenerational vulnerability for newborn boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dries S. Martens
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Bram G. Janssen
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Esmée M. Bijnens
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | | | - Paolo Vineis
- Medical Research Council–Health Policy Agency, Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michelle Plusquin
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Tim S. Nawrot
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leuven University, Leuven, Belgium
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Ross KM, Carroll J, Horvath S, Hobel CJ, Coussons-Read ME, Schetter CD. Immune epigenetic age in pregnancy and 1 year after birth: Associations with weight change. Am J Reprod Immunol 2020; 83:e13229. [PMID: 32061136 PMCID: PMC8401279 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM Epigenetic age indices are markers of biological aging determined from DNA methylation patterns. Accelerated epigenetic age predicts morbidity and mortality. Women tend to demonstrate slower blood epigenetic aging compared to men, possibly due to female-specific hormones and reproductive milestones. Pregnancy and the post-partum period are critical reproductive periods that have not been studied yet with respect to epigenetic aging. The purpose of this paper was to examine whether pregnancy itself and an important pregnancy-related variable, changes in body mass index (BMI) between pregnancy and the post-partum period, are associated with epigenetic aging. METHOD OF STUDY A pilot sample of 35 women was recruited as part of the Healthy Babies Before Birth (HB3) project. Whole blood samples were collected at mid-pregnancy and 1 year post-partum. DNA methylation at both time points was assayed using Infinium 450K and EPIC chips. Epigenetic age indices were calculated using an online calculator. RESULTS Paired-sample t-tests were used to test differences in epigenetic age indices from pregnancy to 1 year after birth. Over this critical time span, women became younger with respect to phenotypic epigenetic age, GrimAge, DNAm PAI-1, and epigenetic age indices linked to aging-related shifts in immune cell populations, known as extrinsic epigenetic age. Post-partum BMI retention, but not prenatal BMI increases, predicted accelerated epigenetic aging. CONCLUSION Women appear to become younger from pregnancy to the post-partum period based on specific epigenetic age indices. Further, BMI at 1 year after birth that reflects weight retention predicted greater epigenetic aging during this period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kharah M. Ross
- Centre for Social Sciences, Athabasca University, Athabasca, AB, Canada
| | - Judith Carroll
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, David Geffen School of Medicine, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California – Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Steve Horvath
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California – Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Calvin J. Hobel
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mary E. Coussons-Read
- Psychology Department, University of Colorado – Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
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Rentscher KE, Carroll JE, Mitchell C. Psychosocial Stressors and Telomere Length: A Current Review of the Science. Annu Rev Public Health 2020; 41:223-245. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040119-094239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
A growing literature suggests that exposure to adverse social conditions may accelerate biological aging, offering one mechanism through which adversity may increase risk for age-related disease. As one of the most extensively studied biological markers of aging, telomere length (TL) provides a valuable tool to understand potential influences of social adversity on the aging process. Indeed, a sizeable literature now links a wide range of stressors to TL across the life span. The aim of this article is to review and evaluate this extant literature with a focus on studies that investigate psychosocial stress exposures and experiences in early life and adulthood. We conclude by outlining potential biological and behavioral mechanisms through which psychosocial stress may influence TL, and we discuss directions for future research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E. Rentscher
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA;,
| | - Judith E. Carroll
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA;,
| | - Colter Mitchell
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106, USA
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Khalil D, Giurgescu C, Misra DP, Templin T, Javanbakht A. Recruiting Immigrant and Refugee Arab American Mother-Father-Infant Triads Resettling in the United States: A Feasibility Study. Can J Nurs Res 2020; 52:139-148. [PMID: 32192379 DOI: 10.1177/0844562120910856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent Iraqi and Syrian immigrant families are exposed to stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms due to civil war. Recruitment challenges specific to conducting research within this population include the lack of knowledge about research, stigma of mental illness, and mistrust. PURPOSES Among immigrant Iraqi and Syrian families: (1) evaluate the approach to recruitment and retention; and (2) evaluate the acceptability of the study procedures. METHODS This feasibility study was conducted based on the work of Orsmond and Cohn. It is focused on the evaluation of recruitment capability and resulting sample characteristics and evaluation of acceptability and suitability of the study procedures. Mother-father-infant triads were recruited from a community center. Parents completed questionnaires about stress and depressive symptoms. Buccal swab samples were obtained from the triads to measure telomere length, and infant hair samples were obtained to measure cortisol level. Telomere length and hair cortisol were utilized as measures of chronic stress. RESULTS Ten mother-father-infant triads were enrolled out of 11 approached. Challenges faced this study included inability to reach families by telephone and the effect of cultural norms where the husband's permission was needed before proceeding, resulting in a slow pace of recruitment. The study strategy and procedures appeared to be feasible as all of the families who participated completed all study protocols. CONCLUSION This study provides feasibility data to inform the launching of a larger study to examine the associations of family stress with infant stress and development. These findings from Iraqi and Syrian families may be generalizable to studies seeking to recruit these and other immigrant and refugee population families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalia Khalil
- College of Nursing, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Carmen Giurgescu
- College of Nursing, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Dawn P Misra
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Thomas Templin
- College of Nursing, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
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Groer M, Louis-Jacques A, Szalacha L, Redwine L, Dracxler R, Keefe D. Relationship of Anxiety, Inflammation, and Telomere Length in Postpartum Women: A Pilot Study. Biol Res Nurs 2019; 22:256-262. [PMID: 31858822 DOI: 10.1177/1099800419890424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The postpartum period can be a vulnerable time during which many women are prone to mood disturbances. Since telomere length (TL) is known to be associated with dysphoric moods, inflammation, and stress in many populations, this study's objective was to assess the relationships among TL, dysphoric moods, stress, and inflammation during the postpartum period. METHOD This cross-sectional pilot study is a secondary analysis of data collected in a larger parent study of anti-thyroid peroxidase (TPO) enzyme antibody positive versus negative women. The parent study followed selected mothers every month for 6 postpartum months. From this parent study, a random sample of preserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 97 participants collected at 2-4 months postpartum were measured for TL. Data were available on the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6), an inflammatory cytokine, in stimulated ex vivo cultures for 59 of these women. Dysphoric moods and stress were measured. Pearson correlations and linear regressions were performed, controlling for postpartum thyroiditis status and age. RESULTS There were no statistically significant relationships between TL and demographic factors, stress, depression, or TPO status. There were significant negative correlations between TL and anxiety and a trend for a relationship between TL and IL-6 levels. IL-6 levels were significantly, positively associated with negative moods. CONCLUSIONS Higher anxiety scores and inflammation were associated with shorter TL. Inflammation was related to anxiety and other dysphoric moods and was marginally associated with shorter TLs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen Groer
- University of South Florida College of Nursing, Tampa, FL, USA
| | | | - Laura Szalacha
- University of South Florida College of Nursing, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Laura Redwine
- University of South Florida College of Nursing, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Roberta Dracxler
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, NYU Langone Medical Center, NY, USA
| | - David Keefe
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, NYU Langone Medical Center, NY, USA
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Recent research on childhood trauma has focused on the effects of in-utero and early life stress (ELS) as well as improving access to care. This review includes the previous year's clinically relevant research with attention to gaps that require further research that should improve patient care. RECENT FINDINGS The current article focuses on the latest understanding of ELS effects on the neuroendocrine, inflammatory, immune, and neurologic systems, as well as epigenetic effects with a focus on research examining sex-specific differences. Resilience and innovative treatment delivery models are reviewed with emphasis on integrated care models and technology-based treatments. SUMMARY The findings reviewed point toward clinically relevant research avenues. The call for more and better treatment options can only be realized with a better understanding of ELS effects. There is a specific need for more in depth exploration and application of sex-specific differences as well as an examination of the effects of age of onset and chronicity of stressors. New developments in the delivery of interventions and treatment allow the potential to provide broader early access to care.
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Farrukh S, Baig S, Hussain R, Shahid A, Khan ST. Telomere reprogramming during fetal life in low socioeconomic mothers. EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL HUMAN GENETICS 2019. [DOI: 10.1186/s43042-019-0007-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
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Conceptualization, measurement, and effects of pregnancy-specific stress: review of research using the original and revised Prenatal Distress Questionnaire. J Behav Med 2019; 43:16-33. [PMID: 31183596 DOI: 10.1007/s10865-019-00068-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Pregnancy-specific stress (PSS) arises from the numerous changes that women experience during pregnancy and from their concerns about childbirth and the health of their offspring. Prolonged or elevated maternal stress heightens risk for poor fetal, infant, and child outcomes. The Prenatal Distress Questionnaire (PDQ) and its expanded successor, the revised Prenatal Distress Questionnaire (NuPDQ), were developed to assess PSS, but their psychometric properties and findings are not well-documented. We reviewed research using the PDQ (n = 45) or NuPDQ (n = 37). Results establish that PSS as measured by these instruments is common in pregnancy; PSS is associated with sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics, perceptions of pregnancy, health behaviors, maternal health, and birth outcomes. The NuPDQ is an especially appropriate tool to assess PSS, with demonstrated reliability and convergent, concurrent, and predictive validity. The ability to assess PSS in a reliable and valid manner is critical to advance research and improve maternal and child health.
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Bürgin D, O'Donovan A, d'Huart D, di Gallo A, Eckert A, Fegert J, Schmeck K, Schmid M, Boonmann C. Adverse Childhood Experiences and Telomere Length a Look Into the Heterogeneity of Findings-A Narrative Review. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:490. [PMID: 31191214 PMCID: PMC6541108 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with poor mental and somatic health. Accumulating evidence indicates that accelerated biological aging-indexed by altered telomere-related markers-may contribute to associations between ACEs and negative long-term health outcomes. Telomeres are repeated, non-coding deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequences at the end of chromosomes. Telomeres shorten during repeated cell divisions over time and are being used as a marker of biological aging. Objectives: The aim of the current paper is to review the literature on the relationship between ACEs and telomere length (TL), with a specific focus on how the heterogeneity of sample and ACEs characteristics lead to varying associations between ACEs and TL. Methods: Multiple databases were searched for relevant English peer-reviewed articles. Thirty-eight papers were found to be eligible for inclusion in the current review. Results: Overall, the studies indicated a negative association between ACEs and TL, although many papers presented mixed findings and about a quarter of eligible studies found no association. Studies with smaller sample sizes more often reported significant associations than studies with larger samples. Also, studies reporting on non-clinical and younger samples more often found associations between ACEs and TL compared to studies with clinical and older samples. Reviewing the included studies based on the "Stressor Exposure Characteristics" recently proposed by Epel et al. (2018) revealed a lack of detailed information regarding ACEs characteristics in many studies. Conclusion: Overall, it is difficult to achieve firm conclusions about associations of ACEs with TL due to the heterogeneity of study and ACE characteristics and the heterogeneity in reported findings. The field would benefit from more detailed descriptions of study samples and measurement of ACEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Bürgin
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinic, Psychiatric University Hospitals, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Aoife O'Donovan
- Department of Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Delfine d'Huart
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinic, Psychiatric University Hospitals, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alain di Gallo
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinic, Psychiatric University Hospitals, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anne Eckert
- Neurobiological Laboratory for Brain Aging and Mental Health, Transfaculty Research Platform, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jörg Fegert
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Klaus Schmeck
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinic, Psychiatric University Hospitals, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marc Schmid
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinic, Psychiatric University Hospitals, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Cyril Boonmann
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinic, Psychiatric University Hospitals, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Chen X, Zeng C, Gong C, Zhang L, Wan Y, Tao F, Sun Y. Associations between early life parent-child separation and shortened telomere length and psychopathological outcomes during adolescence. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 103:195-202. [PMID: 30711896 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Given the ethical limitations of exposing children to experimentally manipulated adverse experiences, evidence of the effects of parent-child separation on subsequent psychopathology are based mostly on animal studies. Left-behind children phenomenon resulting from rural-urban mobility in China offers unique "natural experiments" to explore the long-term physical and mental health consequences of parent-child separation in childhood. OBJECTIVE To test the associations between parent-child separation with telomere length (TL) and psychopathology during adolescence. METHOD A total of 710 adolescents (age: M = 16.86, SD = 1.52) were recruited from local schools in rural area of Fuyang, one of the top inland areas for outward migration in Anhui province, China. Parent-child separation was collected through face to face interview. The MacArthur Health & Behavior Questionnaire (HBQ) was used to assess internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to measure buccal TL. RESULTS Nearly 60% (399/695) of the participants experienced separation from both parents. Childhood or persistent separation from parents was associated with increased internalizing symptoms (childhood: β = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.23; persistent: β = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.14, 0.31), increased externalizing symptoms (childhood: β = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.32; persistent: β = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.10, 0.35) and shorter telomere length (childhood: β = -0.16, 95% CI: -0.26, -0.05; persistent: β = -0.13, 95% CI: -0.22, -0.03). Shortened TL was estimated to explain 15.2% and 12.7% of the total effect of separation on internalizing and externalizing symptoms, while internalizing and externalizing symptoms explained 23.4% and 12.3% of the effect of separation on shortened TL. CONCLUSION Childhood and persistent parent-child separation, as experienced by rural left-behind children in China, associates with increased vulnerability for psychopathological symptoms and makers of cellular aging. The challenge for future research is to determine whether short telomere length is in fact a long-term consequence or an underlying vulnerability factor for future mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingxing Chen
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health & Aristogenics, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Chenchen Zeng
- Fuyang Vocational Technical College, Fuyang, Anhui Province, China
| | - Chun Gong
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health & Aristogenics, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health & Aristogenics, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Yuhui Wan
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health & Aristogenics, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Fangbiao Tao
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health & Aristogenics, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Ying Sun
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health & Aristogenics, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
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Stevenson JR, McMahon EK, Boner W, Haussmann MF. Oxytocin administration prevents cellular aging caused by social isolation. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 103:52-60. [PMID: 30640038 PMCID: PMC7476076 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 12/26/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Chronic stressors, such as chronic isolation in social mammals, can elevate glucocorticoids, which can affect cellular mechanisms of aging, including increased levels of oxidative stress and shortened telomere lengths. Recent work in the selectively social prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) suggests that oxytocin and social support may mitigate some of the negative consequences of social isolation, possibly by reducing glucocorticoid levels. We investigated the influences of isolation, social support, and daily oxytocin injections in female prairie voles. Glucocorticoid levels, oxidative damage, telomere length, and anhedonia, a behavioral index of depression, were measured throughout the study. We found that six weeks of chronic isolation led to increased glucocorticoid levels, oxidative damage, telomere degradation and anhedonia. However, daily oxytocin injections in isolated voles prevented these negative consequences. These findings demonstrate that chronic social isolation in female prairie voles is a potent stressor that results in depression-like behavior and accelerated cellular aging. Importantly, oxytocin can completely prevent the negative consequences of social isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennie R. Stevenson
- Department of Psychology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, USA,Corresponding author at: 215 O’Leary Center, 1 Dent Drive, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, United States. (J.R. Stevenson)
| | | | - Winnie Boner
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
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Atzl VM, Grande LA, Davis EP, Narayan AJ. Perinatal promotive and protective factors for women with histories of childhood abuse and neglect. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2019; 91:63-77. [PMID: 30831534 PMCID: PMC6506345 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Integrative research summarizing promotive and protective factors that reduce the effects of childhood abuse and neglect on pregnant women and their babies' healthy functioning is needed. OBJECTIVE This narrative systematic review synthesized the quantitative literature on protective and promotive factors that support maternal mental health and maternal-infant bonding among women exposed to childhood adversity, including childhood abuse and neglect. METHODS Using a comprehensive list of key terms related to the perinatal period, childhood adversity, and protective/promotive factors, 8423 non-duplicated articles were identified through database searches in PsychInfo and Web of Science, and references in retrieved articles. Thirty-seven full text articles were inspected; of those 18 were included. RESULTS Protective and promotive factors fell into three categories: a) women's internal capacities (e.g., self-esteem, coping ability), b) external early resources (e.g., positive childhood experiences) and c) external contemporaneous resources (e.g., social support). Although all three categories were associated with more resilient outcomes, external contemporaneous factors, and specifically, social support, were the most commonly-studied protective and/or promotive factor. Social support from family and romantic partners during the perinatal period was particularly protective for women with histories of childhood abuse and neglect and was examined across several dimensions of support and contexts. CONCLUSIONS The presence of women's internal capacities, and external early and contemporaneous resources help to foster more positive outcomes during the perinatal period for women with histories of childhood adversity. Future research should study co-occurring multilevel promotive and protective factors to inform how they integratively deter the intergenerational transmission of risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria M Atzl
- University of Denver, Department of Psychology, United States
| | - Leah A Grande
- University of Denver, Department of Psychology, United States
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- University of Denver, Department of Psychology, United States; University of California, Irvine, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, United States
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Should we consider telomere length and telomerase activity in male factor infertility? Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol 2019; 30:197-202. [PMID: 29664790 DOI: 10.1097/gco.0000000000000451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The purpose of this review is to analyze what is known to date about the relation between telomeres and male fertility, and if it is possible for telomeres, or elements related to them, to be used as new prognostic biomarkers in fertility treatment. RECENT FINDINGS Cells in germ series, including spermatozoids, have longer telomeres (10-20 kb), and do not seem to undergo the shortening that takes place in somatic cells with age as they present telomerase activity. Longer telomere length found in the sperm of older fathers, influences their offspring possessing cells with longer telomere length. Infertile patients have spermatozoids with shorter telomere length than fertile people, but telomere length does neither correlate with the sperm concentration, mobility or morphology, nor with the DNA fragmentation indices (DFI) of spermatozoids. Embryo quality rate and transplantable embryo rate are related with the telomere length of spermatozoids (STL), but pregnancy rates are not affected. SUMMARY Telomere length and telomerase levels can be used as biomarkers of male fertility. Higher STL can have beneficial effects on fertility, thus the use of spermatozoids with longer telomere length in an assisted reproduction technique (ART) could be one way of solving some infertility cases.
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Christian LM. At the forefront of psychoneuroimmunology in pregnancy: Implications for racial disparities in birth outcomes: PART 2: Biological mechanisms. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 117:327-333. [PMID: 30885813 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
As reviewed in Part 1 of this two part review, birth prior to full term is a substantial public health issue. In the US, ˜400,000 babies per year are born preterm (< 37 weeks), while>1 million are early term (37-386/7 weeks) and remarkable racial disparities in shortened gestation are observed among African Americans as compared to Whites. Biomechanisms linking stressor exposures with birth outcomes are increasingly being explicated. The current paper reviews the mechanistic role of maternal biological functioning in the link between behavioral exposures and birth outcomes. These include the inter-related roles of neuroendocrine function, inflammatory regulation, biological aging, and the microbiome. An integrative approach which addresses both behavioral and biological factors within the same study, carefully considers the role of race/ethnicity, and rigorously defines birth outcomes (e.g., spontaneous versus medically-indicated and inclusive of early term birth) is needed to move research in this field toward better mechanistic understanding and clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Christian
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA; The Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA; Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
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Hantsoo L, Kornfield S, Anguera MC, Epperson CN. Inflammation: A Proposed Intermediary Between Maternal Stress and Offspring Neuropsychiatric Risk. Biol Psychiatry 2019; 85:97-106. [PMID: 30314641 PMCID: PMC6309506 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
During pregnancy, programming of the fetal central nervous system establishes vulnerabilities for emergence of neuropsychiatric phenotypes later in life. Psychosocial influences during pregnancy, such as stressful life events and chronic stress, correlate with offspring neuropsychiatric disorders and inflammation, respectively. Stress promotes inflammation, but the role of inflammation as a mediator between maternal psychosocial stress and offspring neuropsychiatric outcomes has not been extensively studied in humans. This review summarizes clinical evidence linking specific types of stress to maternal inflammatory load during pregnancy. We propose that inflammation is a mediator in the relationship between psychosocial stress and offspring neuropsychiatric outcomes, potentially influenced by poor maternal glucocorticoid-immune coordination. We present relevant experimental animal research supporting this hypothesis. We conclude that clinical and preclinical research supports the premise that stress-induced maternal immune activation contributes in part to prenatal programming of risk. Programming of risk is likely due to a combination of vulnerabilities, including multiple or repeated inflammatory events; timing of such events; poor maternal regulation of inflammation; genetic vulnerability; and lifestyle contributors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liisa Hantsoo
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
| | - Sara Kornfield
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Montserrat C Anguera
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - C Neill Epperson
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Penn PROMOTES Research on Sex and Gender in Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Willis M, Reid SN, Calvo E, Staudinger UM, Factor-Litvak P. A scoping systematic review of social stressors and various measures of telomere length across the life course. Ageing Res Rev 2018; 47:89-104. [PMID: 30048807 PMCID: PMC6195444 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2018.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Revised: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Numerous studies examine the relationship between social stressors and telomere length (TL). Beyond considering methods and major findings, this scoping systematic review takes a novel approach as it groups studies according to the types of social stressor considered and by age groups. Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus. We included all English-language human subject research articles that modeled any measure of TL as a dependent variable and exposure to a social stressor as an independent variable. For the sample of 105 articles, we summarized methods and findings by type of social stressor (socioeconomic stressors, stressful life events, work-related stressors, and neighborhood stressors) and by age of the study population (infants/children, middle-aged adults, older adults, and mixed samples of middle-aged and older adults). We found more variation in TL measurement methodology in studies of infants/children and older adults than in studies focusing on middle-aged adults. The most consistent finding was a relationship between early-life stressors and shorter TL. Work and neighborhood stressors, and older populations, are currently understudied. Across all stressors, limited evidence suggests that the stress-TL relationship may be moderated by characteristics such as age, sex, and race/ethnicity. We conclude with specific suggestions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Willis
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, United States.
| | - Shaina N Reid
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, United States
| | - Esteban Calvo
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, United States; Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, Columbia University, United States; Society and Health Research Center, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad Mayor, Chile; Laboratory on Aging and Social Epidemiology, Universidad Mayor, Chile
| | - Ursula M Staudinger
- Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, Columbia University, United States; Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, United States
| | - Pam Factor-Litvak
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, United States
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SmithBattle L. The past is prologue? The long arc of childhood trauma in a multigenerational study of teen mothering. Soc Sci Med 2018; 216:1-9. [PMID: 30245301 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological study was to describe intergenerational patterns in adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and protective childhood experiences among teen mothers, their parents and children, and to include social disadvantage as a source of ACE. At the seventh wave of a study that has followed teen mothers and families beginning in 1988 for 28 years, 42 family members were reinterviewed in 2016. Adult participants also completed two tools that identify ACE and childhood family strengths. After narrative data were coded inductively, Interpretive Family Profiles were created to facilitate case and cross-case analysis. Of the 9 participating teen mothers at Time 7, 4 reported few ACE and many family strengths; their parents and children reported similar scores. Of the 5 mothers reporting high ACE, children's scores improved with one exception. Findings suggest that mothers' aspirations to shield their children from trauma was a fragile endeavor for mothers who faced ongoing trauma and economic hardships. Clinicians may facilitate intergenerational repair by capitalizing on mothers' aspirations with trauma-informed care and referrals to community resources. Trauma assessment should also include poverty-related ACE and experiences related to stigma and discrimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee SmithBattle
- School of Nursing, Saint Louis University, 3525 Caroline Ave, Saint Louis, Missouri, 63104, USA.
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Enlow MB, Bollati V, Sideridis G, Flom JD, Hoxha M, Hacker M, Wright RJ. Sex differences in effects of maternal risk and protective factors in childhood and pregnancy on newborn telomere length. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 95:74-85. [PMID: 29803183 PMCID: PMC6109592 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Revised: 04/28/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Little research has examined determinants of newborn telomere length, a potential biomarker of lifetime disease risk impacted by prenatal exposures. No study has examined whether maternal exposures in childhood influence newborn telomere length or whether there are sex differences in the maternal factors that influence newborn telomere length. We tested whether a range of maternal risk and protective factors in childhood and pregnancy were associated with newborn telomere length among 151 sociodemographically diverse mother-infant dyads. We further examined whether the pattern of associations differed by infant sex. Newborn telomere length was assessed from cord blood collected at birth. Risk/protective factors included maternal health (smoking, body mass index), socioeconomic status (education, income), stress exposures, and mental health (depressive and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms) in pregnancy as well as maternal experiences of abuse (physical, emotional, sexual) and familial emotional support in childhood. When examined within the whole sample, only maternal smoking in pregnancy and familial emotional support in childhood emerged as significant predictors of newborn telomere length. Male and female newborns differed in their pattern of associations between the predictors and telomere length. Among males, maternal smoking, higher body mass index, and elevated depressive symptoms in pregnancy and maternal sexual abuse in childhood were associated with shorter newborn telomere length; higher maternal educational attainment and household income in pregnancy and greater maternal familial emotional support in childhood were associated with longer newborn telomere length. Together, these factors accounted for 34% of the variance in male newborn telomere length. None of the risk/protective factors were associated with female newborn telomere length. The results suggest that male fetuses are particularly susceptible to maternal exposure effects on newborn telomere length. These findings have implications for elucidating mechanisms contributing to sex disparities in health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, AT-120.3, Mailstop BCH 3199, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Valentina Bollati
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, via San Barnaba 8, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Georgios Sideridis
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Institutional Centers for Clinical and Translational Research, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, AT-210.3, Mailstop BCH 3200, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Julie D. Flom
- Department of Pediatrics, Kravis Children’s Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1198, New York City, NY 10029, USA
| | - Mirjam Hoxha
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, via San Barnaba 8, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Michele Hacker
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, KS3, Boston, MA 02215, USA,Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rosalind J. Wright
- Department of Pediatrics, Kravis Children’s Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1198, New York City, NY 10029, USA,Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA
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Abstract
Pregnancy is a complex and vulnerable period that presents a number of challenges to women, including the development of postpartum psychiatric disorders (PPDs). These disorders can include postpartum depression and anxiety, which are relatively common, and the rare but more severe postpartum psychosis. In addition, other PPDs can include obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and eating disorders. The aetiology of PPDs is a complex interaction of psychological, social and biological factors, in addition to genetic and environmental factors. The goals of treating postpartum mental illness are reducing maternal symptoms and supporting maternal-child and family functioning. Women and their families should receive psychoeducation about the illness, including evidence-based discussions about the risks and benefits of each treatment option. Developing effective strategies in global settings that allow the delivery of targeted therapies to women with different clinical phenotypes and severities of PPDs is essential.
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