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Timmer-Murillo SC, Mowrer A, Wang AZ, Jazinski-Chambers K, Piña I, Rundell MR, Bennett JM, Wagner AJ, deRoon-Cassini TA. Examining emotion regulation and inflammation as predictors of maternal mental health after fetal anomaly diagnosis. Brain Behav Immun 2024:S0889-1591(24)00523-3. [PMID: 39106938 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Fetal anomalies occur in approximately 3% of pregnancies and receiving the diagnosis may be a potentially traumatic experience for families. The mental health of mothers receiving diagnoses and what predicts resilience or poor mental health is understudied. Emotion regulation is an important, modifiable, transdiagnostic factor of mental health, and may be protective post-diagnosis. Evaluating biomarkers of stress, including IL-6 and Allostatic Load (AL), can also serve as early indicators of risk, indicative of early intervention. This study assessed whether reappraisal, suppression, IL-6, and AL was associated with mental health outcomes and resilience in women after receiving a fetal anomaly diagnosis. METHODS Pregnant women (N=108) presenting to a fetal concerns clinic for initial consultation completed measures of emotion regulation (i.e., reappraisal and suppression), depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and resilience between 2019-2022. A blood draw was used to assess IL-6 and create composite allostatic load measure including: IL-6, blood pressure, heart rate, glucose, cortisol, and body mass index. RESULTS Linear regressions controlling for age, gestational age, and perceived fetal diagnosis severity, demonstrated that IL-6 was negatively associated with resilience and positively associated with depression. Reappraisal was positively associated to resilience and negatively associated with depression, anxiety, and PTSD, whereas state insurance status was positively associated to anxiety and PTS symptoms. Suppression and allostatic load were not significant. CONCLUSIONS Women experiencing fetal anomaly diagnosis represent an understudied population with unaddressed mental health needs. Reappraisal serves as not only a protective factor, but one that can be enhanced to promote maternal resilience and mental health. Furthermore, elevated IL-6 may be a critical early indicator of potential intervention needs among women who are pregnant, to mitigate negative psychological states and enhance resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney C Timmer-Murillo
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 8701 W Watertown Plank Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
| | - Alyssa Mowrer
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Division of Pediatric Surgery, 8701 W Watertown Plank Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
| | - Amy Z Wang
- University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Department of Psychology, 2441 E. Hartford Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA.
| | - Kelley Jazinski-Chambers
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 8701 W Watertown Plank Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
| | - Isela Piña
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 8701 W Watertown Plank Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
| | - Maddie R Rundell
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Division of Pediatric Surgery, 8701 W Watertown Plank Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
| | - Jeanette M Bennett
- UNC Charlotte, Department of Psychological Science, 9201 University City Blvd Charlotte, NC 28223, USA.
| | - Amy J Wagner
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Division of Pediatric Surgery, 8701 W Watertown Plank Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
| | - Terri A deRoon-Cassini
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 8701 W Watertown Plank Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA; Comprehensive Injury Center, Division of Data Surveillance & Informatics, 10000 Innovation Dr. Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
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Karkoszka N, Gibula-Tarlowska E, Kotlinska J, Bielenica A, Gawel K, Kedzierska E. Selenium Intake and Postnatal Depression-A Short Review. Nutrients 2024; 16:1926. [PMID: 38931280 PMCID: PMC11206929 DOI: 10.3390/nu16121926] [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: 05/10/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Postnatal depression is a common and severe complication of childbirth. It is an important public health problem with significant implications for both mothers and children. The exact mechanisms underlying and the factors influencing the occurrence of postnatal depression remain unclear. The literature suggests that certain dietary deficiencies during pregnancy and the postnatal period may contribute to a greater risk of maternal depression. This review focuses on the role of selenium in postnatal depression. It collects evidence from published interventional and observational studies investigating the relationship between selenium intake during the antenatal and postnatal periods and the mental status of postpartum women and summarises information about biological mechanisms that may underlie the association between selenium status and postnatal depression. The review includes studies identified through electronic searches of Medline (via PubMed) and Google Scholar databases until December 2023. Despite the small number of relevant studies and their potential methodological limitations, the findings suggest that optimizing selenium status may support the prevention and treatment of postnatal depression. Further longitudinal and interventional studies are necessary to confirm the clinical significance of these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Karkoszka
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lublin, 4a Chodźki Street, 20-400 Lublin, Poland; (E.G.-T.); (J.K.); (E.K.)
| | - Ewa Gibula-Tarlowska
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lublin, 4a Chodźki Street, 20-400 Lublin, Poland; (E.G.-T.); (J.K.); (E.K.)
| | - Jolanta Kotlinska
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lublin, 4a Chodźki Street, 20-400 Lublin, Poland; (E.G.-T.); (J.K.); (E.K.)
| | - Anna Bielenica
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Warsaw, 1 Banacha Street, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Kinga Gawel
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Lublin, 8b Jaczewskiego Street, 20-090 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Ewa Kedzierska
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lublin, 4a Chodźki Street, 20-400 Lublin, Poland; (E.G.-T.); (J.K.); (E.K.)
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Rinne GR, Carroll JE, Guardino CM, Shalowitz MU, Ramey SL, Schetter CD. Parental Preconception Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Maternal Prenatal Inflammation Prospectively Predict Shorter Telomere Length in Children. Psychosom Med 2024; 86:410-421. [PMID: 37594236 PMCID: PMC10879462 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001241] [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] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Parental trauma exposure and trauma-related distress can increase the risk of adverse health outcomes in offspring, but the pathways implicated in intergenerational transmission are not fully explicated. Accelerated biological aging may be one mechanism underlying less favorable health in trauma-exposed individuals and their offspring. This study examines the associations of preconception maternal and paternal posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms with child telomere length, and maternal prenatal C-reactive protein (CRP) as a biological mechanism. METHODS Mothers ( n = 127) and a subset of the fathers ( n = 84) reported on PTSD symptoms before conception. Mothers provided blood spots in the second and third trimesters that were assayed for CRP. At age 4 years, children provided buccal cells for measurement of telomere length. Models adjusted for parental age, socioeconomic status, maternal prepregnancy body mass index, child biological sex, and child age. RESULTS Mothers' PTSD symptoms were significantly associated with shorter child telomere length ( β = -0.22, SE = 0.10, p = .023). Fathers' PTSD symptoms were also inversely associated with child telomere length ( β = -0.21, SE = 0.11), although nonsignificant ( p = .065). There was no significant indirect effect of mothers' PTSD symptoms on child telomere length through CRP in pregnancy, but higher second-trimester CRP was significantly associated with shorter child telomere length ( β = -0.35, SE = 0.18, p = .048). CONCLUSIONS Maternal symptoms of PTSD before conception and second-trimester inflammation were associated with shorter telomere length in offspring in early childhood, independent of covariates. Findings indicate that intergenerational transmission of parental trauma may occur in part through accelerated biological aging processes and provide further evidence that prenatal proinflammatory processes program child telomere length.Open Science Framework Preregistration:https://osf.io/7c2d5/?view_only=cd0fb81f48db4b8f9c59fc8bb7b0ef97 .
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Judith E. Carroll
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, University of California, Los Angeles
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | | | | | - Sharon Landesman Ramey
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
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Silva-Fernandes A, Conde A, Marques M, Caparros-Gonzalez RA, Fransson E, Mesquita AR, Figueiredo B, Skalkidou A. Inflammatory biomarkers and perinatal depression: A systematic review. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0280612. [PMID: 38820411 PMCID: PMC11142563 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Approximately 10 to 20% of pregnant women worldwide experience perinatal depression (PND), a depressive episode with onset during pregnancy or after childbirth. We performed a systematic review to identify, summarize and discuss studies on inflammatory biomarkers described in relation to PND. METHOD Inclusion criteria defined the selection of observational studies written in English, French, Spanish or Portuguese, that evaluate analytical levels of inflammatory molecules (protein levels) in biological fluids in women, with a diagnosis of depression using ICD/DSM diagnostic criteria or depressive symptoms assessed by standardized psychometric instruments, during pregnancy and/or postpartum. Case reports, experimental studies, reviews, qualitative analysis, meta-analysis, gray literature or replicated data were excluded. Three electronic databases were used for search (Pubmed, Web of Science and PsychInfo) and quality assessment of selected studies were performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Data extraction included study design; number of subjects; obstetric information; tools and timepoints of depression and inflammatory markers assessment. RESULTS 56 studies (sample size for cross-sectional and case-control studies ranging from 10 to 469; sample size for longitudinal studies ranging from 26 to 467), where the major aim was to analyze the association between depression and inflammatory biomarkers during pregnancy and postpartum period were included in this systematic review. Overall, the findings of our systematic review lend support to the hypothesis that several inflammatory markers may be associated with peripartum depressive symptoms. The associations were somewhat different looking at pregnancy compared to the delivery time-point and postpartum, and mainly referred to increased levels of IL-6, IL-8, CRP and TNF-α among depressed. DISCUSSION In summary, our systematic review findings provide evidence supporting the hypothesis that several inflammatory markers may correlate with peripartum depressive symptoms. However, our work also highlighted notable differences in the timing of biological sampling for inflammatory markers and in the methodologies used to assess depression during the perinatal period. Additionally, variations were observed in how inflammatory biomarkers and depression were approached, including their classification as exposure or outcome variables, and the timing of assessments. It is essential for future research to investigate the influence of biological fluids and the timing of assessments for both inflammatory biomarkers and depression to gain a deeper understanding of their association. This comprehensive exploration is pivotal for elucidating the intricate relationship between inflammation and perinatal depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anabela Silva-Fernandes
- Psychology Research Center (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Ana Conde
- CINTESIS@RISE, CINTESIS.UPT, Portucalense University, Porto, Portugal
| | - Margarida Marques
- Faculdade de Psicologia, CICPSI, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Rafael A. Caparros-Gonzalez
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs, GRANADA, Granada, Spain
| | - Emma Fransson
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ana Raquel Mesquita
- Psychology Research Center (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ProChild CoLab Against Poverty and Social Exclusion–Association (ProChild CoLAB) Campus de Couros Rua de Vila Flor, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Bárbara Figueiredo
- Psychology Research Center (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Alkistis Skalkidou
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Bränn E, Chen Y, Song H, László KD, D'Onofrio BM, Hysaj E, Almqvist C, Larsson H, Lichtenstein P, Valdimarsdottir UA, Lu D. Bidirectional association between autoimmune disease and perinatal depression: a nationwide study with sibling comparison. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:602-610. [PMID: 38191927 PMCID: PMC11153129 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02351-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Although major depression, characterized by a pro-inflammatory profile, genetically overlap with autoimmune disease (AD) and the perinatal period involve immune system adaptations and AD symptom alterations, the bidirectional link between perinatal depression (PND) and AD is largely unexplored. Hence, the objective of this study was to investigate the bidirectional association between PND and AD. Using nationwide Swedish population and health registers, we conducted a nested case-control study and a matched cohort study. From 1,347,901 pregnancies during 2001-2013, we included 55,299 incident PND, their unaffected full sisters, and 10 unaffected matched women per PND case. We identified 41 subtypes of AD diagnoses recorded in the registers and compared PND with unaffected population-matched women and full sisters, using multivariable regressions. Women with an AD had a 30% higher risk of subsequent PND (95% CI 1.2-1.5) and women exposed to PND had a 30% higher risk of a subsequent AD (95% CI 1.3-1.4). Comparable associations were found when comparing exposed women with their unaffected sisters (nested case-control OR: 1.3, 95% CI 1.2-1.5, matched cohort HR: 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.6), and when studying antepartum and postpartum depression. The bidirectional association was more pronounced among women without psychiatric comorbidities (nested case-control OR: 1.5, 95% CI 1.4-1.6, matched cohort HR: 1.4, 95% CI 1.4-1.5) and strongest for multiple sclerosis (nested case-control OR: 2.0, 95% CI 1.6-2.3, matched cohort HR: 1.8, 95% CI 1.0-3.1). These findings demonstrate a bidirectional association between AD and PND independent of psychiatric comorbidities, suggesting possibly shared biological mechanisms. If future translational science confirms the underlying mechanisms, healthcare providers need to be aware of the increased risk of PND among women with ADs and vice versa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Bränn
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Yufeng Chen
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Huan Song
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Krisztina D László
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Brian M D'Onofrio
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Elgeta Hysaj
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Catarina Almqvist
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Henrik Larsson
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Paul Lichtenstein
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Unnur A Valdimarsdottir
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Center of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Donghao Lu
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Clayborne ZM, Zou R, Gilman SE, Khandaker GM, Fell DB, Colman I, El Marroun H. Associations between prenatal maternal stress, maternal inflammation during pregnancy, and children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms throughout childhood. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 114:165-172. [PMID: 37607663 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.08.017] [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: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal immune activation is a potential mechanism underlying associations between maternal stress during pregnancy and offspring mental health problems. This study examined associations between prenatal maternal stress, maternal inflammation during pregnancy, and children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms from 3 to 10 years of age, and whether maternal inflammation mediated the associations between prenatal maternal stress and children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms. METHODS This study comprised 4,902 mother-child dyads in the Generation R study. Prenatal maternal stress was assessed using self-reported data collected during pregnancy and analyzed as a latent variable consisting of four stress domains. Maternal inflammation during pregnancy was assessed using serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) measured at a median of 13.5 weeks' gestation. Child internalizing and externalizing symptoms were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) by maternal report at ages 3 years, 5 years, and 10 years; paternal-reported CBCL data were also available at 3 years and 10 years. RESULTS Prenatal maternal stress was associated with maternal-reported internalizing and externalizing symptoms of the child at 3, 5, and 10 years of age, and with paternal-reported internalizing and externalizing symptoms at 3 and 10 years. Prenatal maternal stress was associated with maternal CRP concentrations prior to, but not after, covariate adjustment. Maternal CRP concentrations during pregnancy were associated with paternal-reported internalizing symptoms of offspring at 10 years of age prior to, but not after, covariate adjustment. There was no evidence that CRP concentrations mediated the associations between prenatal maternal stress and children's internalizing or externalizing symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Maternal stress during pregnancy is associated with higher levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms in children, but this association is not because of differences in maternal immune activation linked to maternal stress. Replication of these findings in other cohorts is required; examination of other biomarkers or variation in immune activity during pregnancy would also benefit from further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra M Clayborne
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
| | - Runyu Zou
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Stephen E Gilman
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Golam M Khandaker
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, Bristol, UK
| | - Deshayne B Fell
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Ian Colman
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Hanan El Marroun
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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Sominsky L, O'Hely M, Drummond K, Cao S, Collier F, Dhar P, Loughman A, Dawson S, Tang ML, Mansell T, Saffery R, Burgner D, Ponsonby AL, Vuillermin P. Pre-pregnancy obesity is associated with greater systemic inflammation and increased risk of antenatal depression. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 113:189-202. [PMID: 37437818 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pre-pregnancy obesity is an emerging risk factor for perinatal depression. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We investigated the association between pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and perinatal depressive symptoms in a large population-based pre-birth cohort, the Barwon Infant Study. We also assessed whether the levels of circulating inflammatory markers during pregnancy mediated this relationship. METHODS Depressive symptoms were assessed in 883 women using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and psychological stress using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) at 28 weeks gestation and 4 weeks postpartum. Glycoprotein acetyls (GlycA), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and cytokines were assessed at 28 weeks gestation. We performed regression analyses, adjusted for potential confounders, and investigated mediation using nested counterfactual models. RESULTS The estimated effect of pre-pregnancy obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) on antenatal EPDS scores was 1.05 points per kg/m2 increase in BMI (95% CI: 0.20, 1.90; p = 0.02). GlycA, hsCRP, interleukin (IL) -1ra and IL-6 were higher in women with obesity, compared to healthy weight women, while eotaxin and IL-4 were lower. Higher GlycA was associated with higher EPDS and PSS scores and partially mediated the association between pre-pregnancy obesity and EPDS/PSS scores in unadjusted models, but this association attenuated upon adjustment for socioeconomic adversity. IL-6 and eotaxin were negatively associated with EPDS/PSS scores, however there was no evidence for mediation. CONCLUSIONS Pre-pregnancy obesity increases the risk of antenatal depressive symptoms and is also associated with systemic inflammation during pregnancy. While discrete inflammatory markers are associated with antenatal depressive symptoms and perceived stress, their role in mediating the effects of pre-pregnancy obesity on antenatal depression requires further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luba Sominsky
- Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Deakin University, IMPACT - the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Martin O'Hely
- Deakin University, IMPACT - the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Katherine Drummond
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sifan Cao
- Deakin University, IMPACT - the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Fiona Collier
- Deakin University, IMPACT - the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Poshmaal Dhar
- Deakin University, IMPACT - the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Amy Loughman
- Deakin University, IMPACT - the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Samantha Dawson
- Deakin University, IMPACT - the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mimi Lk Tang
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Toby Mansell
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Richard Saffery
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - David Burgner
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anne-Louise Ponsonby
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Peter Vuillermin
- Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Deakin University, IMPACT - the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
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8
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Maes M, Abe Y, Sirichokchatchawan W, Suwimonteerabutr J, Sangkomkamhangd U, Almulla AF, Satthapisit S. The Cytokine, Chemokine, and Growth Factor Network of Prenatal Depression. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13050727. [PMID: 37239199 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13050727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuro-immune pathways are engaged in antenatal and postpartum depression. AIMS To determine if immune profiles influence the severity of prenatal depression above and beyond the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACE), premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and current psychological stressors. METHODS Using the Bio-Plex Pro human cytokine 27-plex test kit, we assayed M1 macrophage, T helper (Th)-1, Th-2, Th-17, growth factor, chemokine, and T cell growth immune profiles as well as indicators of the immune inflammatory response system (IRS) and compensatory immunoregulatory system (CIRS) in 120 pregnant females in the early (<16 weeks) and late (>24 weeks) pregnancy. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to assess severity of antenatal depression. RESULTS Cluster analyses showed that the combined effects of ACE, relationship dissatisfaction, unwanted pregnancy, PMS, and upregulated M1, Th-1, Th-2, and IRS immune profiles and the ensuing early depressive symptoms shape a stress-immune-depression phenotypic class. Elevated IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12p70, IL-15, IL-17, and GM-CSF are the cytokines associated with this phenotypic class. All immune profiles (except CIRS) were significantly associated with the early EPDS score, independent of the effects of psychological variables and PMS. There was a shift in immune profiles from early to late pregnancy, with an increase in the IRS/CIRS ratio. The late EPDS score was predicted by the early EPDS score, adverse experiences, and immune profiles, mainly the Th-2 and Th-17 phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS Activated immune phenotypes contribute to early and late perinatal depressive symptoms above and beyond the effects of psychological stressors and PMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Maes
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, the Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Research Institute, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- IMPACT Strategic Research Center, Barwon Health, Geelong 3220, Australia
| | - Yoshiko Abe
- College of Public Health Sciences (CPHS), Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Department of Public Health, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan
| | - Wandee Sirichokchatchawan
- College of Public Health Sciences (CPHS), Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Health and Social Sciences and Addiction Research Unit, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Junpen Suwimonteerabutr
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | | | - Abbas F Almulla
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, the Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Medical Laboratory Technology Department, College of Medical Technology, The Islamic University, Najaf 54001, Iraq
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Fernandes GM, Sasaki LMP, Jardim-Santos GP, Schulte HL, Motta F, da Silva ÂP, de Carvalho AO, Pereira YR, Alves CDO, de Araújo Júnior DA, Mendonça-Silva DL, Costa KN, de Castro MEC, Lauand L, Nery RDR, Tristão R, Kurizky PS, Nóbrega ODT, Espindola LS, de Castro LCG, Alpoim PN, Godoi LC, Dusse LMSA, Coelho-dos-Reis JGA, do Amaral LR, Gomes MDS, Bertarini PLL, Brito-de-Sousa JP, da Costa-Rocha IA, Campi-Azevedo AC, Peruhype-Magalhães V, Teixeira-Carvalho A, Zaconeta AM, Soares AADSM, Valim V, Gomes CM, de Albuquerque CP, Martins-Filho OA, da Mota LMH. Panoramic snapshot of serum soluble mediator interplay in pregnant women with convalescent COVID-19: an exploratory study. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1176898. [PMID: 37122732 PMCID: PMC10130456 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1176898] [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: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy can induce changes in the maternal immune response, with effects on pregnancy outcome and offspring. This is a cross-sectional observational study designed to characterize the immunological status of pregnant women with convalescent COVID-19 at distinct pregnancy trimesters. The study focused on providing a clear snapshot of the interplay among serum soluble mediators. Methods A sample of 141 pregnant women from all prenatal periods (1st, 2nd and 3rd trimesters) comprised patients with convalescent SARS-CoV-2 infection at 3-20 weeks after symptoms onset (COVID, n=89) and a control group of pre-pandemic non-infected pregnant women (HC, n=52). Chemokine, pro-inflammatory/regulatory cytokine and growth factor levels were quantified by a high-throughput microbeads array. Results In the HC group, most serum soluble mediators progressively decreased towards the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy, while higher chemokine, cytokine and growth factor levels were observed in the COVID patient group. Serum soluble mediator signatures and heatmap analysis pointed out that the major increase observed in the COVID group related to pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-12, IFN-γ and IL-17). A larger set of biomarkers displayed an increased COVID/HC ratio towards the 2nd (3x increase) and the 3rd (3x to 15x increase) trimesters. Integrative network analysis demonstrated that HC pregnancy evolves with decreasing connectivity between pairs of serum soluble mediators towards the 3rd trimester. Although the COVID group exhibited a similar profile, the number of connections was remarkably lower throughout the pregnancy. Meanwhile, IL-1Ra, IL-10 and GM-CSF presented a preserved number of correlations (≥5 strong correlations in HC and COVID), IL-17, FGF-basic and VEGF lost connectivity throughout the pregnancy. IL-6 and CXCL8 were included in a set of acquired attributes, named COVID-selective (≥5 strong correlations in COVID and <5 in HC) observed at the 3rd pregnancy trimester. Discussion and conclusion From an overall perspective, a pronounced increase in serum levels of soluble mediators with decreased network interplay between them demonstrated an imbalanced immune response in convalescent COVID-19 infection during pregnancy that may contribute to the management of, or indeed recovery from, late complications in the post-symptomatic phase of the SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geraldo Magela Fernandes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Geraldo Magela Fernandes, ; Olindo Assis Martins-Filho,
| | - Lizandra Moura Paravidine Sasaki
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
- Hospital Universitário de Brasília, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
| | | | - Heidi Luise Schulte
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
| | - Felipe Motta
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Maria Eduarda Canellas de Castro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
- Hospital Universitário de Brasília, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
| | - Lucas Lauand
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
| | | | - Rosana Tristão
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
| | - Patricia Shu Kurizky
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
- Hospital Universitário de Brasília, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
| | | | - Laila Salmen Espindola
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
| | - Luiz Cláudio Gonçalves de Castro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
| | | | - Lara Carvalho Godoi
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | | | - Laurence Rodrigues do Amaral
- Laboratório de Bioinformática e Análises Moleculares, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Patos de Minas, Brazil
| | - Matheus de Souza Gomes
- Laboratório de Bioinformática e Análises Moleculares, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Patos de Minas, Brazil
| | - Pedro Luiz Lima Bertarini
- Laboratório de Bioinformática e Análises Moleculares, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Patos de Minas, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Alexandre Anderson de Sousa Munhoz Soares
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
| | - Valéria Valim
- Hospital Universitário Cassiano Antônio Moraes, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (HUCAM-UFES), Vitória, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Coletiva (PPGSC), Centro de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil
| | - Ciro Martins Gomes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Patologia Molecular, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
| | - Cleandro Pires de Albuquerque
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
- Hospital Universitário de Brasília, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
| | - Olindo Assis Martins-Filho
- Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ-Minas), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Geraldo Magela Fernandes, ; Olindo Assis Martins-Filho,
| | - Licia Maria Henrique da Mota
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
- Hospital Universitário de Brasília, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Patologia Molecular, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
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10
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Vilotić A, Nacka-Aleksić M, Pirković A, Bojić-Trbojević Ž, Dekanski D, Jovanović Krivokuća M. IL-6 and IL-8: An Overview of Their Roles in Healthy and Pathological Pregnancies. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314574. [PMID: 36498901 PMCID: PMC9738067 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is an acknowledged inflammatory cytokine with a pleiotropic action, mediating innate and adaptive immunity and multiple physiological processes, including protective and regenerative ones. IL-8 is a pro-inflammatory CXC chemokine with a primary function in attracting and activating neutrophils, but also implicated in a variety of other cellular processes. These two ILs are abundantly expressed at the feto-maternal interface over the course of a pregnancy and have been shown to participate in numerous pregnancy-related events. In this review, we summarize the literature data regarding their role in healthy and pathological pregnancies. The general information related to IL-6 and IL-8 functions is followed by an overview of their overall expression in cycling endometrium and at the feto-maternal interface. Further, we provide an overview of their involvement in pregnancy establishment and parturition. Finally, the implication of IL-6 and IL-8 in pregnancy-associated pathological conditions, such as pregnancy loss, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus and infection/inflammation is discussed.
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11
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Nassr OA, Mohammed MM, Showman HA. Relationship between inflammatory biomarkers, vitamin D levels, and depressive symptoms in late pregnancy and during the postpartum period: a prospective, observational study. MIDDLE EAST CURRENT PSYCHIATRY 2022. [DOI: 10.1186/s43045-022-00241-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Perinatal depression impacts maternal and fetal health, and exhibits a high rate of continuity postpartum. Not only does it impair the maternal quality of life, it also increases the risk of adverse birth and developmental problems in offspring. Vitamin D deficiency and excessive inflammation have been associated with perinatal depression. There is a scarcity of evidence regarding the biological causes of maternal depression in Iraq, therefore, the present study aims to assess perinatal depressive symptoms associations with inflammatory markers and vitamin D levels, and to investigate the interaction between vitamin D and the inflammatory markers. A prospective, observational study design was utilized to recruit healthy pregnant women from private obstetrics clinic in Baghdad, Iraq, from April to September 2021. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to measure depressive symptoms during the third trimester and at 6 months postpartum. Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6, C-reactive protein (CRP), and 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OH-D) were quantified, using a fully automated chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzer.
Results
Eighty patients were eligible for inclusion. The antenatal EPDS scores demonstrated a significant association with square root IL-6 (B = – 0.025, p = 0.040) and no association with CRP or vitamin D levels. The severity of postpartum depressive symptoms tended towards a positive association, with larger increases of CRP concentration (p = 0.065). In contrast, the association between marital relationship quality and CRP was statistically significant (p = 0.001). There was a statistically significant association between CRP and vitamin D concentration (p = 0.041). Antepartum EPDS significantly predicted the postpartum EPDS score (p = 0.000, B = 0.180, R2 for the model = 0.976, CI (0.17–0.19)).
Conclusions
The study findings show a significant association between third trimester depressive symptoms and IL-6 concentration. CRP and vitamin D levels do not correlate with perinatal depressive symptoms and a poor marital relationship significantly elevates the CRP level. In addition, vitamin D level was associated with CRP level and antepartum depressive symptoms predict postpartum EPDS score. Future studies involving a larger population and including women with pregnancy complications would provide a further insight into the role of inflammation and vitamin D deficiency in the etiology of perinatal depression.
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12
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Xia H, Zhu X, Zhu C. Associations between pro-inflammatory cytokines and fatigue in pregnant women. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13965. [PMID: 36193420 PMCID: PMC9526404 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Fatigue is one of the most prevalent symptoms among pregnant women. In patients with various diseases, pro-inflammatory cytokines are associated with fatigue; however, such associations are unknown in pregnant women. Objectives The objective of this study was to examine the associations between pro-inflammatory cytokines and prenatal fatigue. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 271 pregnant Chinese women in their third trimester of pregnancy. Patient-reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) was used to evaluate women's prenatal fatigue. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the serum concentrations of four pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interleukin 8 (IL-8), were measured. The data was analyzed by correlation analysis and general linear regression analysis. Results In this sample, the mean (standard deviation) of fatigue scores was 51.94 (10.79). TNF-α (r = 0.21, p < 0.001), IL-6 (r = 0.134, p = 0.027) and IL-8 (r = 0.209, p = 0.001) were positively correlated to prenatal fatigue, although IL-1β was not. TNF-α (β = 0.263, p < 0.001), along with sleep quality (β = 0.27, p < 0.001) and depression (β = 0.376, p < 0.001) independently predicted prenatal fatigue. Conclusions TNF-α was identified as an independent biomarker for prenatal fatigue in our study. Reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines may be a unique method for lowering prenatal fatigue and, consequently, enhancing mother and child health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiou Xia
- School of Nursing, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Zhu
- School of Nursing, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chunxiang Zhu
- Obstetrical Ward, Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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13
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Bränn E, Skalkidou A, Schwarz J, Papadopoulos FC, Sundström Poromaa I, Fransson E. Longitudinal assessment of inflammatory markers in the peripartum period by depressive symptom trajectory groups. Brain Behav Immun Health 2022; 22:100468. [PMID: 35571146 PMCID: PMC9097612 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Mechanisms driving temporal fluctuations of inflammatory markers during pregnancy, and how these might differ between distinct perinatal depressive trajectories, are not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate cytokines levels over the course of pregnancy in women with different trajectories of depressive symptoms peripartum, and relate the levels to levels of non-pregnant controls. Methods Based on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and/or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors use, 131 women were categorized into: no (n = 65); antepartum (APD, n = 19), postpartum (PPD, n = 17) and persistent (n = 30) depressive symptoms. Plasma samples (n = 386) were analyzed for levels of interleukin (IL)-8, IL-18, Tumor necrosis factor-α, macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and fractalkine, at four different time-points (twice during pregnancy, during childbirth, and postpartum) using Bio-Plex Pro Human Cytokine Assays. Generalized linear mixed models were applied to analyze the associations between cytokine levels, time-point, perinatal depressive symptom trajectory group and their interaction. Results For all markers but VEGF-A, pregnancy was associated with higher cytokine levels compared to the non-pregnant controls, with delivery being the most prominent time-point. For M-CSF, IL-18 and VEGF-A, levels were back to the non-pregnant status at postpartum week 8. An effect of perinatal depressive symptom trajectory groups on cytokine levels was found for VEGF-A. Women with PPD and women with APD had lower levels of VEGF-A throughout the study period compared to women with persistent depression, and women with PPD had lower levels compared to non-depressed women. Conclusions Lower levels of VEGF-A were noted among women in some trajectories of depressive symptoms peripartum. The peripartum period is a time of tremendous immune system adaptations. Standardization of time-points for cytokine measurements in studies of perinatal depression are important in order to draw valid conclusions on the role of the immune system in perinatal depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Bränn
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Alkistis Skalkidou
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jaclyn Schwarz
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, USA
| | | | | | - Emma Fransson
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Centre for Translational Microbiome Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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14
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O'Connor TG, Ciesla AA, Sefair AV, Thornburg LL, Brown AS, Glover V, O'Donnell KJ. Maternal prenatal infection and anxiety predict neurodevelopmental outcomes in middle childhood. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND CLINICAL SCIENCE 2022; 131:422-434. [PMID: 35238594 PMCID: PMC9069845 DOI: 10.1037/abn0000746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal maternal infection and anxiety have been linked, in separate lines of study, with child neurodevelopment. We extend and integrate these lines of study in a large prospective longitudinal cohort study of child neurodevelopment. Data are based on the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort; prenatal maternal anxiety was assessed from self-report questionnaire; prenatal infection was derived from reports of several conditions in pregnancy (n = 7,042). Child neurodevelopment at approximately 8 years of age was assessed by in-person testing, reports of social and communication problems associated with autism, and psychiatric evaluation. Covariates included psychosocial, demographic, and perinatal/obstetric risks. Prenatal infection was associated with increased likelihood of co-occurring prenatal risk, including anxiety. Regression analyses indicated that both prenatal infection and prenatal anxiety predicted child social and communication problems; the predictions were largely independent of each other. Comparable effects were also found for the prediction of symptoms of attention problems and anxiety symptoms. These results provide the first evidence for the independent effects of prenatal infection and anxiety on a broad set of neurodevelopmental and behavioral and emotional symptoms in children, suggesting the involvement of multiple mechanisms in the prenatal programming of child neurodevelopment. The results further underscore the importance of promoting prenatal physical and mental health for child health outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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15
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Exposure to childhood maltreatment and systemic inflammation across pregnancy: The moderating role of depressive symptomatology. Brain Behav Immun 2022; 101:397-409. [PMID: 35131443 PMCID: PMC9615483 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood maltreatment (CM) has long-term consequences for dysregulation of the immune system which is particularly pronounced when mental and physical health sequelae have manifested. Higher proinflammatory state has been shown in non-pregnant state in association with CM as well as with depression, one of the most frequent and pernicious psychiatric sequelae of CM. During pregnancy, however, this association is less clear. Given the important role of maternal inflammatory state during pregnancy for fetal, pregnancy, and birth outcomes, we sought to examine the association between CM and proinflammatory state during pregnancy considering the moderating role of maternal depressive symptoms characterized serially across pregnancy. METHODS A prospective, longitudinal study of 180 healthy pregnant women was conducted with serial assessments in early (12.98 ± 1.71 weeks gestation), mid (20.53 ± 1.38 weeks gestation) and late (30.42 ± 1.4 weeks gestation) pregnancy. Maternal history of CM was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the total score was used as an indicator of CM experience. Maternal depressive symptoms were assessed at each pregnancy visit with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 were obtained at each pregnancy visit and combined to a composite maternal proinflammatory score. Linear mixed effects models were employed to assess the association between CTQ score, CES-D score, and proinflammatory score during pregnancy, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS Gestational age was associated with the proinflammatory score (B = 0.02; SE = 0.00; p < .001), indicating an increase in inflammation across gestation. Neither CTQ score nor depressive symptoms were independently associated with the proinflammatory score (ps > 0.28). However, the interaction between CTQ score and depressive symptoms was associated with the proinflammatory score (B = 0.03, SE = 0.01, p < .05), indicating higher inflammation across pregnancy with increasing levels of depressive symptoms during pregnancy in women with higher CTQ scores. Exploratory analyses suggested that this interaction was mainly driven by CTQ subscale scores assessing experiences of abuse rather than neglect. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest a moderating role of maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy on the association of early life stress with inflammation and thus highlight the importance of the timely assessment of both CM exposure and depressive symptoms which might allow for the development of targeted and individualized interventions to impact inflammation during pregnancy and to ameliorate the detrimental long-term effects of CM. The current findings add to a better understanding of the prenatal biological pathways that may underlie intergenerational transmission of maternal CM.
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16
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Bublitz MH, Freeburg T, Sharp M, Salameh M, Bourjeily G. Childhood adversity, prenatal depression, and maternal inflammation across pregnancy. Obstet Med 2022; 15:25-30. [PMID: 35444718 PMCID: PMC9014541 DOI: 10.1177/1753495x211011910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background To examine whether change in neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, a marker of systemic inflammation, differs by childhood adversity and prenatal depression. Methods Prenatal complete blood count data were used to calculate neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in first and third trimesters. The Adverse Childhood Experiences scale measured childhood adversity, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 measured depression. This is a secondary analysis of a study of predictors of risk for sleep-disordered breathing. Results Participants were 98 pregnant women, mean age 30 years (SD = 5), mean body mass index of 35 kg/m2 (SD = 7), 61% identified as white, and 28% identified as Hispanic. Women who reported childhood sexual abuse history displayed greater increase in neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio over pregnancy relative to women without childhood sexual abuse. Change in neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio across pregnancy did not differ by prenatal depression. Conclusion Experiences of sexual abuse in childhood may impact markers of systemic inflammation in pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret H Bublitz
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, The Warren Alpert
Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA,Department of Medicine, The Warren Alpert Medical School of
Brown University, Providence, RI, USA,Women’s Medicine Collaborative, The Miriam Hospital, Providence,
RI, USA,Margaret H Bublitz Department of Psychiatry
and Human Behavior, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, 146
West River Street, Providence, RI 02904, USA.
| | - Taylor Freeburg
- Department of Medicine, The Warren Alpert Medical School of
Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Meghan Sharp
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, The Warren Alpert
Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA,Women’s Medicine Collaborative, The Miriam Hospital, Providence,
RI, USA
| | - Myriam Salameh
- Women’s Medicine Collaborative, The Miriam Hospital, Providence,
RI, USA
| | - Ghada Bourjeily
- Department of Medicine, The Warren Alpert Medical School of
Brown University, Providence, RI, USA,Women’s Medicine Collaborative, The Miriam Hospital, Providence,
RI, USA
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17
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Dye C, Lenz KM, Leuner B. Immune System Alterations and Postpartum Mental Illness: Evidence From Basic and Clinical Research. Front Glob Womens Health 2022; 2:758748. [PMID: 35224544 PMCID: PMC8866762 DOI: 10.3389/fgwh.2021.758748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The postpartum period is a time associated with high rates of depression and anxiety as well as greater risk for psychosis in some women. A growing number of studies point to aberrations in immune system function as contributing to postpartum mental illness. Here we review evidence from both clinical and animal models suggesting an immune component to postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, and postpartum psychosis. Thus far, clinical data primarily highlights changes in peripheral cytokine signaling in disease etiology, while animal models have begun to provide insight into the immune environment of the maternal brain and how central inflammation may also be contributing to postpartum mental illnesses. Further research investigating peripheral and central immune function, along with neural and endocrine interactions, will be important in successfully developing novel prevention and treatment strategies for these serious disorders that impact a large portion of new mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Dye
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Kathryn M. Lenz
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- Institute of Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Benedetta Leuner
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- *Correspondence: Benedetta Leuner
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18
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Ravi M, Bernabe B, Michopoulos V. Stress-Related Mental Health Disorders and Inflammation in Pregnancy: The Current Landscape and the Need for Further Investigation. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:868936. [PMID: 35836664 PMCID: PMC9273991 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.868936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Many studies have focused on psychoimmunological mechanisms of risk for stress-related mental health disorders. However, significantly fewer studies have focused on understanding mechanisms of risk for stress-related disorders during pregnancy, a period characterized by dramatic changes in both the innate and adaptive immune systems. The current review summarizes and synthesizes the extant literature on the immune system during pregnancy, as well as the sparse existing evidence highlighting the associations between inflammation and mood, anxiety, and fear-related disorders in pregnancy. In general, pregnant persons demonstrate lower baseline levels of systemic inflammation, but respond strongly when presented with an immune challenge. Stress and trauma exposure may therefore result in strong inflammatory responses in pregnant persons that increases risk for adverse behavioral health outcomes. Overall, the existing literature suggests that stress, trauma exposure, and stress-related psychopathology are associated with higher levels of systemic inflammation in pregnant persons, but highlight the need for further investigation as the existing data are equivocal and vary based on which specific immune markers are impacted. Better understanding of the psychoimmunology of pregnancy is necessary to reduce burden of prenatal mental illness, increase the likelihood of a successful pregnancy, and reduce the intergenerational impacts of prenatal stress-related mental health disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghna Ravi
- Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Brandy Bernabe
- Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Vasiliki Michopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Emory National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, United States
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19
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Sawyer KM. The role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of perinatal depression and offspring outcomes. Brain Behav Immun Health 2021; 18:100390. [PMID: 34877551 PMCID: PMC8633814 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of depression is becoming increasingly apparent, but its role in perinatal depression is less well-studied. Pregnancy and the postpartum are characterised by distinct and changing inflammatory profiles throughout, which makes the study of depression-related alterations in this period complex. This review presents literature discussing a role for the immune system in both antenatal and postnatal depression. Furthermore, literature investigating the role of the maternal immune system on breast milk composition and offspring immunological and behavioural outcomes is discussed, before concluding with suggestions for future work as this developing field grows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristi M Sawyer
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
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20
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Effects of maternal psychological stress during pregnancy on offspring brain development: Considering the role of inflammation and potential for preventive intervention. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2021; 7:461-470. [PMID: 34718150 PMCID: PMC9043032 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Heightened psychological stress during pregnancy has repeatedly been associated with increased risk for offspring development of behavior problems and psychiatric disorders. This review covers a rapidly growing body of research with the potential to advance a mechanistic understanding of these associations grounded in knowledge about maternal-placental-fetal stress biology and fetal brain development. Specifically, we highlight research employing magnetic resonance imaging to examine the infant brain soon after birth in relation to maternal psychological stress during pregnancy to increase capacity to identify specific alterations in brain structure and function and to differentiate between effects of pre- versus postnatal exposures. We then focus on heightened maternal inflammation during pregnancy as a mechanism through which maternal stress influences the developing fetal brain based on extensive preclinical literature and emerging research in humans. We place these findings in the context of recent work identifying psychotherapeutic interventions found to be effective for reducing psychological stress among pregnant individuals, which also show promise for reducing inflammation. We argue that a focus on inflammation, among other mechanistic pathways, has the potential to lead to a productive and necessary integration of research focused on the effects of maternal psychological stress on offspring brain development and prevention and intervention studies aimed at reducing maternal psychological stress during pregnancy. In addition to increasing capacity for common measurements and understanding potential mechanisms of action relevant to maternal mental health and fetal neurodevelopment, this focus can inform and broaden thinking about prevention and intervention strategies.
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O'Connor TG, Ciesla AA. Maternal Immune Activation Hypotheses for Human Neurodevelopment: Some Outstanding Questions. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2021; 7:471-479. [PMID: 34688920 PMCID: PMC9021321 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The Maternal Immune Activation (MIA) hypothesis is a leading model for understanding prenatal influences on individual differences in, and clinical syndromes of, neurodevelopment. Experimental animal and human research has proliferated in recent years, and there is now a sizable research base. Several meta-analyses demonstrate general support for an association between prenatal immune activation and neurodevelopment in human research. However, questions remain about the nature of the immune activation, the network of underlying mechanisms involved, and the breadth of impact across behavioral phenotypes. Complementing recent reviews of results, the current review places particular emphasis on how advances in understanding mechanisms may be improved with greater attention to addressing the methodological variation and limitations of existing studies, and identifies areas for further clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas G O'Connor
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester; Department of Psycholog, University of Rochestery; Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester; Wynne Center for Family Research, University of Rochester.
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22
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Are alterations in estradiol, cortisol, and inflammatory cytokines associated with depression during pregnancy and postpartum? An exploratory study. Brain Behav Immun Health 2021; 16:100309. [PMID: 34589801 PMCID: PMC8474549 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Pregnant veterans are a subpopulation known to be at elevated risk of developing mental health symptoms, such as depression and suicidal ideation. Inflammation has been associated with depression, specifically during the perinatal period. Critical changes in estradiol, cortisol, and inflammatory cytokines are necessary for the progression of a healthy pregnancy, which are then rapidly altered in the postpartum period. We explored changes in estradiol, cortisol, and pro-inflammatory cytokines relative to depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts across pregnancy and postpartum in this pilot and feasibility study. Methods We measured estradiol, cortisol, and the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IFN-γ, and TNF-α in 18 pregnant veterans and analyzed the data using descriptive statistics, dependent t-tests, and correlation analyses. We assessed depression severity with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and suicidality with the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Thirteen of the women repeated assessments in the early postpartum period at an average of 6.7 weeks after birth. Results As anticipated, estradiol (t(12) = 12.47, p < .001) and cortisol (t(12) = 9.43, p < .001) significantly decreased from pregnancy to postpartum. There were no differences in the means of gestational and postpartum IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, or IFN-γ, but IL-8 was significantly increased from pregnancy to postpartum (t(12) = -4.60, p = .001). Estradiol during pregnancy was positively correlated with IL-6 levels both during pregnancy (r p = .656, p = .008) and postpartum (r = 0.648, p = .023). Elevated IL-1β was associated with suicidal thoughts during pregnancy (r = 0.529, p = .029). Although not statistically significant, depressive symptom severity trended towards a positive association with larger increases in IL-1β (r = 0.535, p = .09) and TNF-α (r = 0.501, p = .08) from pregnancy to postpartum. Conclusion This preliminary study suggests the feasibility of our approach for exploring a complex interplay between hormonal and pro-inflammatory changes from pregnancy to postpartum, and their relationship with depressive symptoms. Given our small sample and the relatively exploratory nature of our analyses, additional investigation focusing on hormonal and inflammatory changes and their potential associations with perinatal mental health is necessary to confirm and extend our preliminary findings and examine additional potential covariates.
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23
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Menhaden fish oil attenuates postpartum depression in rat model via inhibition of NLRP3-inflammasome driven inflammatory pathway. J Tradit Complement Med 2021; 11:419-426. [PMID: 34522636 PMCID: PMC8427465 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2021.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and aim Postpartum depression (PPD) is a familiar problem which is associated with about 10–20% of women after child delivery. Fish oil (FO) has a therapeutic potentials to many diseases including mood disorders. However, there is paucity of data on the effects of FO supplementation on PPD rat model. Hence, this study aimed at investigating the potentials of FO in ameliorating depressive-like behaviors in PPD rat by evaluating the involvement of NLRP3-inflammasome. Experimental procedure Thirty six virgin adult female rats (n = 6) were randomly divided into six groups; Group 1–3 were normal control (NC), Sham (SHAM) and ovariectomized group (OVX) respectively whereas group 4–6 were PPD rats forced-fed once daily with distilled water (PPD), fish oil (PPD + FO; 9 g/kg) and Fluoxetine (PPD + FLX; 15 mg/kg) respectively from postpartum day 1 and continued for 10 consecutive days. Rats behaviors were evaluated on postpartum day 10 through open field test (OFT) and forced swimming test (FST), followed by biochemical analysis of NLRP3 inflammasome proteins pathway in their brain and determination of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR). Results PPD-induced rats exhibited high immobility and low swimming time in FST with increased inflammatory status; NLR, IL-1β and NFкB/NLRP3/caspase-1 activity in their hippocampus. However, administration of FO or fluoxetine reversed the aforementioned abnormalities. Conclusion In conclusion, 10 days supplementation with FO ameliorated the depressive-like behaviors in PPD rats by targeting the NFкB/NLRP3/caspase-1/IL-1β activity. This has shed light on the potential of NLRP3 as a therapeutic target in treatment of PPD in rats. Pioneer study on 10 days effect of Menhaden fish oil in post partum depression rat model. Menhaden fish oil attenuates post partum depression in rat model. Menhanden fish oil acted through NLRP3 inflammasome pathways.
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24
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Groth SW, Fernandez ID, Block RC, Thurston SW, Wong E, Brunner J, Mayo N, Kapula N, Yu Y, Meng Y, Yeh KL, Kinkade CW, Thornburg LL, O’Connor TG, Barrett ES. Biological changes in the pregnancy-postpartum period and subsequent cardiometabolic risk-UPSIDE MOMS: A research protocol. Res Nurs Health 2021; 44:608-619. [PMID: 33993510 PMCID: PMC8378197 DOI: 10.1002/nur.22141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Multiple physiological changes occur in pregnancy as a woman's body adapts to support the growing fetus. These pregnancy-induced changes are essential for fetal growth, but the extent to which they reverse after pregnancy remains in question. For some women, physiological changes persist after pregnancy and may increase long-term cardiometabolic disease risk. The National Institutes of Health-funded study described in this protocol addresses a scientific gap by characterizing weight and biological changes during pregnancy and an extended postpartum period in relation to cardiometabolic risk. We use a longitudinal repeated measures design to prospectively examine maternal health from early pregnancy until 3 years postpartum. The aims are: (1) identify maternal weight profiles in the pregnancy-postpartum period that predict adverse cardiometabolic risk profiles three years postpartum; (2) describe immune, endocrine, and metabolic biomarker profiles in the pregnancy-postpartum period, and determine their associations with cardiometabolic risk; and (3) determine how modifiable postpartum health behaviors (diet, physical activity, breastfeeding, sleep, stress) (a) predict weight and cardiometabolic risk in the postpartum period; and (b) moderate associations between postpartum weight retention and downstream cardiometabolic risk. The proposed sample is 250 women. This study of mothers is conducted in conjunction with the Understanding Pregnancy Signals and Infant Development study, which examines child health outcomes. Biological and behavioral data are collected in each trimester and at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months postpartum. Findings will inform targeted health strategies that promote health and reduce cardiometabolic risk in childbearing women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan W Groth
- University of Rochester, School of Nursing, Rochester NY
| | - I Diana Fernandez
- University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Public Health Sciences
| | - Robert C Block
- University of Rochester, Departments of Public Health Sciences, Cardiology, and Medicine
| | - Sally W Thurston
- University of Rochester, Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology
| | - Eunyoung Wong
- University of Rochester, School of Nursing, Rochester NY
| | - Jessica Brunner
- University of Rochester Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
| | - Nicole Mayo
- University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Public Health Sciences
| | - Ntemena Kapula
- University of Rochester Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
| | - Yang Yu
- University of Rochester, School of Nursing, Rochester NY
| | - Ying Meng
- University of Rochester, School of Nursing, Rochester NY
| | - Kuan-Lin Yeh
- University of Rochester, School of Nursing, Rochester NY
| | - Carolyn W Kinkade
- Rutgers University, Exposure Science and Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute
| | - Loralei L Thornburg
- University of Rochester Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
| | - Thomas G O’Connor
- University of Rochester, Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, Neuroscience, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Wynne Center for Family Research
| | - Emily S Barrett
- University of Rochester Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Rutgers University, Exposure Science and Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute
- Rutgers School of Public Health, Biostatistics and Epidemiology
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25
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Spence T, Allsopp PJ, Yeates AJ, Mulhern MS, Strain JJ, McSorley EM. Maternal Serum Cytokine Concentrations in Healthy Pregnancy and Preeclampsia. J Pregnancy 2021; 2021:6649608. [PMID: 33680514 PMCID: PMC7925069 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6649608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The maternal immune response is essential for successful pregnancy, promoting immune tolerance to the fetus while maintaining innate and adaptive immunity. Uncontrolled, increased proinflammatory responses are a contributing factor to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. The Th1/Th2 cytokine shift theory, characterised by bias production of Th2 anti-inflammatory cytokine midgestation, was frequently used to reflect the maternal immune response in pregnancy. This theory is simplistic as it is based on limited information and does not consider the role of other T cell subsets, Th17 and Tregs. A range of maternal peripheral cytokines have been measured in pregnancy cohorts, albeit the changes in individual cytokine concentrations across gestation is not well summarised. Using available data, this review was aimed at summarising changes in individual maternal serum cytokine concentrations throughout healthy pregnancy and evaluating their association with preeclampsia. We report that TNF-α increases as pregnancy progresses, IL-8 decreases in the second trimester, and IL-4 concentrations remain consistent throughout gestation. Lower second trimester IL-10 concentrations may be an early predictor for developing preeclampsia. Proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-8, and IL-6) are significantly elevated in preeclampsia. More research is required to determine the usefulness of using cytokines, particularly IL-10, as early biomarkers of pregnancy health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toni Spence
- Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Philip J. Allsopp
- Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Alison J. Yeates
- Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Maria S. Mulhern
- Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - J. J. Strain
- Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Emeir M. McSorley
- Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, UK
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26
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Fitzgerald E, Parent C, Kee MZL, Meaney MJ. Maternal Distress and Offspring Neurodevelopment: Challenges and Opportunities for Pre-clinical Research Models. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:635304. [PMID: 33643013 PMCID: PMC7907173 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.635304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pre-natal exposure to acute maternal trauma or chronic maternal distress can confer increased risk for psychiatric disorders in later life. Acute maternal trauma is the result of unforeseen environmental or personal catastrophes, while chronic maternal distress is associated with anxiety or depression. Animal studies investigating the effects of pre-natal stress have largely used brief stress exposures during pregnancy to identify critical periods of fetal vulnerability, a paradigm which holds face validity to acute maternal trauma in humans. While understanding these effects is undoubtably important, the literature suggests maternal stress in humans is typically chronic and persistent from pre-conception through gestation. In this review, we provide evidence to this effect and suggest a realignment of current animal models to recapitulate this chronicity. We also consider candidate mediators, moderators and mechanisms of maternal distress, and suggest a wider breadth of research is needed, along with the incorporation of advanced -omics technologies, in order to understand the neurodevelopmental etiology of psychiatric risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eamon Fitzgerald
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Douglas Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Carine Parent
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Douglas Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Michelle Z. L. Kee
- Translational Neuroscience Programme, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Michael J. Meaney
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Douglas Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Translational Neuroscience Programme, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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27
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Keane JM, Khashan AS, McCarthy FP, Kenny LC, Collins JM, O'Donovan S, Brown J, Cryan JF, Dinan TG, Clarke G, O'Mahony SM. Identifying a biological signature of prenatal maternal stress. JCI Insight 2021; 6:143007. [PMID: 33301421 PMCID: PMC7934857 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.143007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychological stress affects maternal gastrointestinal (GI) permeability, leading to low-grade inflammation, which can negatively affect fetal development. We investigated a panel of circulating markers as a biological signature of this stress exposure in pregnant women with and without the stress-related GI disorder irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Markers of GI permeability and inflammation were measured in plasma from healthy and IBS cohorts of women at 15 and 20 weeks’ gestation. Biomarkers were evaluated with respect to their degree of association to levels of stress, anxiety, and depression as indicated by responses from the Perceived Stress Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. High levels of stress were associated with elevations of soluble CD14, lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), and tumor necrosis factor–α, while anxiety was associated with elevated concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) in otherwise healthy pregnancies. Prenatal depression was associated with higher levels of soluble CD14, LBP, and CRP in the healthy cohort. High levels of prenatal anxiety and depression were also associated with lower concentrations of tryptophan and kynurenine, respectively, in the IBS cohort. These markers may represent a core maternal biological signature of active prenatal stress, which can be used to inform intervention strategies via stress reduction techniques or other lifestyle approaches. Such interventions may need to be tailored to reflect underlying GI conditions, such as IBS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ali S Khashan
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Ireland.,The Irish Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research (INFANT), Cork University Maternity Hospital, Cork, Ireland
| | - Fergus P McCarthy
- The Irish Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research (INFANT), Cork University Maternity Hospital, Cork, Ireland.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Louise C Kenny
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - James M Collins
- APC Microbiome Ireland and.,Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience and
| | | | | | - John F Cryan
- APC Microbiome Ireland and.,Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience and
| | - Timothy G Dinan
- APC Microbiome Ireland and.,Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Gerard Clarke
- APC Microbiome Ireland and.,The Irish Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research (INFANT), Cork University Maternity Hospital, Cork, Ireland.,Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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28
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McCormack C, Lauriola V, Feng T, Lee S, Spann M, Mitchell A, Champagne F, Monk C. Maternal childhood adversity and inflammation during pregnancy: Interactions with diet quality and depressive symptoms. Brain Behav Immun 2021; 91:172-180. [PMID: 33031919 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammatory processes are a candidate mechanism by which early adversity may be biologically embedded and subsequently lead to poorer health outcomes; in pregnancy, this has been posited as a pathway for intergenerational transmission of adversity. Studies in non-pregnant adults suggest that factors such as mood, diet, BMI, and social support may moderate associations between childhood trauma history and inflammation in adulthood, though few studies have examined these associations among pregnant women. In a sample of healthy pregnant women (N = 187), we analyzed associations between maternal childhood adversity, including maltreatment and non-optimal caregiving experiences, with circulating Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels during trimesters 2 (T2) and 3 (T3) of pregnancy. We also assessed whether these associations were moderated by psychosocial and lifestyle factors including depressive symptoms, social support, physical activity, and diet quality. History of childhood maltreatment was not associated with IL-6 in either T2 or T3 of pregnancy, either independently or in interaction with depressive symptom severity. However, in there was a significant positive association between childhood maltreatment and IL-6 in Trimester 2 in the context of poorer diet quality (p = 0.01), even after adjusting for BMI. Additionally, the quality of caregiving women received in childhood was associated with levels of IL-6 in Trimester 3, but only via interaction with concurrent depressive symptoms (p = 0.02). These findings provide evidence that for those with a history of childhood adversity, levels of inflammatory cytokines in pregnancy may be more sensitive to depressive symptoms and diet quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare McCormack
- Center for Science and Society, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Vincenzo Lauriola
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Behavioral Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Tianshu Feng
- Department of Biostatistics (in Psychiatry), Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Seonjoo Lee
- Department of Biostatistics (in Psychiatry), Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Marisa Spann
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Behavioral Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Anika Mitchell
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Frances Champagne
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Catherine Monk
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Behavioral Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10027, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10027, USA; Division of Behavioral Medicine, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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29
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Leach LS, Poyser C, Fairweather‐schmidt K. Maternal perinatal anxiety: A review of prevalence and correlates. CLIN PSYCHOL-UK 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/cp.12058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Liana S. Leach
- Centre for Research on Ageing, Health and Wellbeing, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia,
| | - Carmel Poyser
- Centre for Research on Ageing, Health and Wellbeing, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia,
| | - Kate Fairweather‐schmidt
- Centre for Research on Ageing, Health and Wellbeing, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia,
- School of Psychology, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia,
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30
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to study the association between maternal history of childhood adversity and blood pressure in pregnancy. METHODS A total of 127 pregnant women completed measures of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and prenatal stress between June 2015 and April 2019. At 11 weeks' gestation (range, 6-17 weeks), we measured 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure. All women were considered to be at risk for pregnancy complications due to elevated body mass index and self-reporting snoring in pregnancy. RESULTS Women were, on average, 30 years old (range, 19-40 years), and average (standard deviation) body mass index in this sample was 34 (7) kg/m (range, 27-55 kg/m). Higher ACE scores were associated with higher nighttime blood pressure (systolic blood pressure: β = 0.23, p = .013; diastolic blood pressure: β = 0.22, p = .028). There were no significant associations between the ACE score and daytime blood pressure. Women with four or more ACEs were more likely to display nocturnal blood pressure nondipping (odds ratio = 3.97, 95% confidence interval = 1.38-11.40). Associations between ACE and nocturnal blood pressure remained significant after adjusting for symptoms of prenatal stress. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate that experiences of childhood adversity are associated with elevated nocturnal blood pressure and loss of a typical decline in blood pressure between day and night.
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Prenatal pregnancy-related anxiety predicts boys' ADHD symptoms via placental C-reactive protein. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 120:104797. [PMID: 32682173 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Many modes of stress (i.e. life events, catastrophic events) during pregnancy have been found to increase the risk of externalizing behaviors, and probably in a sex-specific way. Maternal immune activation may be the sex-difference mechanism, but direct evidence that assess three factors in conjunction -- maternal stress, maternal immune activation, and offspring neurodevelopment --from human beings is lacking. This prospective study followed 2926 pregnant women from early pregnancy to 36 months after delivery. Pregnancy-related anxiety symptoms assessment was completed three times using the Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire; child attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms were assessed by the parent version of the Conners' Hyperactivity Index. More importantly, nine inflammatory cytokines were detected in placental tissues for the sex-difference mechanism investigation. Our results showed that after controlling for confounding factors, pregnancy-related anxiety during at least two trimesters of pregnancy increased the risk of ADHD for boys (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 3.37, 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) = 1.78-6.38), but not for girls (aOR = 1.02, 95 %CI = 0.44-2.38), which confirmed previous findings. Besides, the structural equation models revealed that placental C-reactive protein (CRP) mRNA expression significantly mediated the association between pregnancy-related anxiety and ADHD for boys (indirect effect: β = 0.025, P = 0.022), but not for girls (indirect effect: β = 0.005, P = 0.589). This prospective study suggested that frequent pregnancy-related anxiety during pregnancy and its induced-placental inflammation partially contributed to the sex-bias of ADHD symptoms.
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32
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Flores-Dorantes MT, Díaz-López YE, Gutiérrez-Aguilar R. Environment and Gene Association With Obesity and Their Impact on Neurodegenerative and Neurodevelopmental Diseases. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:863. [PMID: 32982666 PMCID: PMC7483585 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity is a multifactorial disease in which environmental conditions and several genes play an important role in the development of this disease. Obesity is associated with neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer, Parkinson, and Huntington diseases) and with neurodevelopmental diseases (autism disorder, schizophrenia, and fragile X syndrome). Some of the environmental conditions that lead to obesity are physical activity, alcohol consumption, socioeconomic status, parent feeding behavior, and diet. Interestingly, some of these environmental conditions are shared with neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases. Obesity impairs neurodevelopment abilities as memory and fine-motor skills. Moreover, maternal obesity affects the cognitive function and mental health of the offspring. The common biological mechanisms involved in obesity and neurodegenerative/neurodevelopmental diseases are insulin resistance, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative damage, among others, leading to impaired brain development or cell death. Obesogenic environmental conditions are not the only factors that influence neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases. In fact, several genes implicated in the leptin-melanocortin pathway (LEP, LEPR, POMC, BDNF, MC4R, PCSK1, SIM1, BDNF, TrkB, etc.) are associated with obesity and neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases. Moreover, in the last decades, the discovery of new genes associated with obesity (FTO, NRXN3, NPC1, NEGR1, MTCH2, GNPDA2, among others) and with neurodegenerative or neurodevelopmental diseases (APOE, CD38, SIRT1, TNFα, PAI-1, TREM2, SYT4, FMR1, TET3, among others) had opened new pathways to comprehend the common mechanisms involved in these diseases. In conclusion, the obesogenic environmental conditions, the genes, and the interaction gene-environment would lead to a better understanding of the etiology of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Teresa Flores-Dorantes
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular y Farmacogenómica, Centro de Investigación de Ciencia y Tecnología Aplicada de Tabasco, División Académica de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Villahermosa, Mexico
| | - Yael Efren Díaz-López
- Laboratorio de Enfermedades Metabólicas: Obesidad y Diabetes, Hospital Infantil de México “Federico Gómez,”Mexico City, Mexico
- División de Investigación, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ruth Gutiérrez-Aguilar
- Laboratorio de Enfermedades Metabólicas: Obesidad y Diabetes, Hospital Infantil de México “Federico Gómez,”Mexico City, Mexico
- División de Investigación, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
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Lahti-Pulkkinen M, Girchenko P, Robinson R, Lehto SM, Toffol E, Heinonen K, Reynolds RM, Kajantie E, Laivuori H, Villa PM, Hämäläinen E, Lahti J, Räikkönen K. Maternal depression and inflammation during pregnancy. Psychol Med 2020; 50:1839-1851. [PMID: 31439060 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291719001909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal depression during pregnancy increases the risk for adverse developmental outcomes in children. However, the underpinning biological mechanisms remain unknown. We tested whether depression was associated with levels of and change in the inflammatory state during pregnancy, if early pregnancy overweight/obesity or diabetes/hypertensive pregnancy disorders accounted for/mediated these effects, and if depression added to the inflammation that typically accompanies these conditions. METHODS We analyzed plasma high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and glycoprotein acetyls at three consecutive stages during pregnancy, derived history of depression diagnoses before pregnancy from Care Register for Healthcare (HILMO) (N = 375) and self-reports (N = 347) and depressive symptoms during pregnancy using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale completed concurrently to blood samplings (N = 295). Data on early pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and diabetes/hypertensive pregnancy disorders came from medical records. RESULTS Higher overall hsCRP levels, but not change, during pregnancy were predicted by history of depression diagnosis before pregnancy [HILMO: mean difference (MD) = 0.69 standard deviation (s.d.) units; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.26-1.11, self-report: MD = 0.56 s.d.; 95% CI 0.17-0.94] and higher depressive symptoms during pregnancy (0.06 s.d. per s.d. increase; 95% CI 0.00-0.13). History of depression diagnosis before pregnancy also predicted higher overall glycoprotein acetyls (HILMO: MD = 0.52 s.d.; 95% CI 0.12-0.93). These associations were not explained by diabetes/hypertensive disorders, but were accounted for and mediated by early pregnancy BMI. Furthermore, in obese women, overall hsCRP levels increased as depressive symptoms during pregnancy increased (p = 0.006 for interaction). CONCLUSIONS Depression is associated with a proinflammatory state during pregnancy. These associations are mediated by early pregnancy BMI, and depressive symptoms during pregnancy aggravate the inflammation related to obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius Lahti-Pulkkinen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Polina Girchenko
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Rachel Robinson
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Soili M Lehto
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Elena Toffol
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kati Heinonen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Rebecca M Reynolds
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Eero Kajantie
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- PEDEGO Research Unit, MRC Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, OuluFinland
| | - Hannele Laivuori
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Medical and Clinical Genetics; Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Science, Helsinki, Finland
- Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Pia M Villa
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Esa Hämäläinen
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jari Lahti
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Turku Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Katri Räikkönen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Robakis TK, Lee S, Werner E, Liu G, Miller M, Wylie D, Champagne FA, Salas M, Do C, Tycko B, Monk C. DNA methylation patterns in T lymphocytes are generally stable in human pregnancies but CD3 methylation is associated with perinatal psychiatric symptoms. Brain Behav Immun Health 2020; 3:100044. [PMID: 34589835 PMCID: PMC8474679 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2020.100044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives To determine whether DNA methylation patterns in genes coding for selected T-lymphocyte proteins are associated with perinatal psychiatric distress or with complications of pregnancy. Methods T lymphocyte DNA was obtained from pregnant women across three time points in pregnancy and the postpartum period and epigenetic patterns were assessed using Illumina 450 K Methylation Beadchips. Seven selected genes critical for T cell function were analyzed for methylation changes during pregnancy and for associations of methylation patterns with psychiatric distress or with pregnancy complications, with particular attention paid to spatial aggregations of methyl groups, termed ‘hotspots,’ within the selected genes. Results In the candidate gene approach, DNA methylation density within a single cluster of 9 contiguous CpG loci within the CD3 gene was found to be strongly associated with anxiety and depression in mid- and late pregnancy, and weakly associated with the presence of complications of pregnancy. Average DNA methylation density across each of the seven genes examined, and assay-wide, was found to be relatively stable across pregnancy and postpartum, but methylation within the CD3 hotspot was more malleable and changes over time were coordinated across the nine cytosines in the hotspot. CD3 CpGs did not pass array-wide tests for significance, but CpG clusters in two other genes, DTNBP1 and OXSR1, showed array-wide significant associations with anxiety. Conclusions Despite the need for tolerating the fetal hemi-allograft, overall DNA methylation patterns in T lymphocytes are generally stable over the mid to late course of human pregnancies and postpartum. However, site-specific changes in DNA methylation density in CD3 appear linked to both symptoms of depression and anxiety in pregnancy and, less strongly, to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Associations exist between DNA methylation density in T cells and measures of stress and mental health in pregnant women. Global DNA methylation density is generally stable over the course of pregnancy. A subregion within the CD3 gene has unusually variable DNA methylation density and is associated with anxiety and depression. Spatial and gene specificity may be important elements of epigenetic regulation of immune function in pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thalia K Robakis
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Seonjoo Lee
- Columbia University Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Elizabeth Werner
- Columbia University Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Grace Liu
- Columbia University Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Melissa Miller
- University of Texas at Austin Department of Psychology, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Dennis Wylie
- University of Texas at Austin Department of Psychology, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Frances A Champagne
- University of Texas at Austin Department of Psychology, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Martha Salas
- Hackensack Meridian Health Center for Discovery and Innovation, Nutley, NJ, 07110, USA
| | - Catherine Do
- Hackensack Meridian Health Center for Discovery and Innovation, Nutley, NJ, 07110, USA
| | - Benjamin Tycko
- Hackensack Meridian Health Center for Discovery and Innovation, Nutley, NJ, 07110, USA
| | - Catherine Monk
- Columbia University Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, 10032, USA
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Nazzari S, Frigerio A. The programming role of maternal antenatal inflammation on infants' early neurodevelopment: A review of human studies: Special Section on "Translational and Neuroscience Studies in Affective Disorders" Section Editor, Maria Nobile MD, PhD. J Affect Disord 2020; 263:739-746. [PMID: 31630829 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal inflammation during pregnancy is a frequently proposed mechanism underlying the link between maternal antenatal physical (e.g. infections, immune disease, obesity) and/or psychological (e.g. depression, anxiety) conditions and child outcomes. However, the extent to which maternal inflammation is directly associated with offspring's early development and health in humans remains largely unknown. METHODS In this review, empirical findings on the prospective association between maternal prenatal levels of inflammatory markers and infants' neurodevelopmental outcomes are summarized. Fifteen studies were included with sample sizes ranging from 36 to 6016 mother-infant dyads and average overall quality score 9.53 (range 6-12). RESULTS Findings concerning the link between maternal antenatal inflammation and, respectively, infants' health and birth outcomes, stress reactivity or cognitive development are mixed. However, it is noteworthy that all higher quality studies (scores >10) reviewed here do find evidence of an association between levels of inflammation, mostly as indexed by Interleukin-6 (IL-6), in healthy women across the whole gestation and offspring's neurodevelopmental outcomes, including structural and functional brain alterations. LIMITATIONS The correlational nature of the findings and conspicuous methodological heterogeneity across studies make drawing strong conclusions premature. CONCLUSIONS Findings, albeit preliminary, are consistent with animal studies and speak in favor of a role of maternal antenatal inflammation in shaping fetal development with possible long-term effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Nazzari
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, Child Psychopathology Unit, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Frigerio
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, Child Psychopathology Unit, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
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Prenatal stress: Effects on fetal and child brain development. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2020; 150:17-40. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2019.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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Achtyes E, Keaton SA, Smart L, Burmeister AR, Heilman PL, Krzyzanowski S, Nagalla M, Guillemin GJ, Escobar Galvis ML, Lim CK, Muzik M, Postolache TT, Leach R, Brundin L. Inflammation and kynurenine pathway dysregulation in post-partum women with severe and suicidal depression. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 83:239-247. [PMID: 31698012 PMCID: PMC6906225 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 10/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Depression during pregnancy and the post-partum is common, with severe cases resulting in suicidal behavior. Despite the urgent and unmet medical need, the biological underpinnings of peri-partum depression remain unclear. It has been suggested that it is triggered by dynamic changes of the immune system during pregnancy and at delivery. Therefore, we investigated whether a pro-inflammatory status in plasma, together with changes in the kynurenine pathway activity, is associated with the development of severe depression and suicidal behavior in the post-partum. Our cross-sectional study targets a unique, understudied population in which the pronounced severity of symptoms required hospitalization. We analyzed plasma IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, tryptophan, serotonin, kynurenine, nicotinamide, quinolinic- and kynurenic acids in post-partum women diagnosed with peripartum onset depression (PPD) and healthy controls (n = 165). We assessed depression severity using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and suicidality using the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale. We found that increased plasma IL-6 and IL-8 and reductions of serotonin, IL-2 and quinolinic acid were associated with the severity of depressive symptoms and increased the risk for PPD. Moreover, women with lower serotonin levels were at an increased risk for suicidal behavior, even when adjusting for depression severity, psychosocial factors, age BMI, and medication. Our results indicate that severe depression in the post-partum involves dysregulation of the immune response and the kynurenine pathway, with a concomitant reduction in serotonin levels. We propose that inflammatory cytokines and the kynurenine pathway are potential treatment targets in PPD, opening up the possibility of novel therapeutic strategies targeting the peripartum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Achtyes
- Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, Grand Rapids, MI, USA; Division of Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Sarah A Keaton
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA; Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - LeAnn Smart
- Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Amanda R Burmeister
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Patrick L Heilman
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Stanislaw Krzyzanowski
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Madhavi Nagalla
- Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, Grand Rapids, MI, USA; Division of Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Gilles J Guillemin
- Neuroinflammation Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Chai K Lim
- Neuroinflammation Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Maria Muzik
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan-Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Teodor T Postolache
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Richard Leach
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, USA; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, Spectrum Health Medical Group, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Lena Brundin
- Division of Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI, USA; Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.
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Placek CD, Nishimura H, Hudanick N, Stephens D, Madhivanan P. Reframing HIV Stigma and Fear : Considerations from Social-ecological and Evolutionary Theories of Reproduction. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2019; 30:1-22. [PMID: 30661161 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-018-09335-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
HIV stigma and fears surrounding the disease pose a challenge for public health interventions, particularly those that target pregnant women. In order to reduce stigma and improve the lives of vulnerable populations, researchers have recognized a need to integrate different types of support at various levels. To better inform HIV interventions, the current study draws on social-ecological and evolutionary theories of reproduction to predict stigma and fear of contracting HIV among pregnant women in South India. The aims of this study were twofold: compare the social-ecological model to a modified maternal-fetal protection model and test a combined model that included strong predictors from each model. The study took place in 2008-2011 in Mysore District, Karnataka, India. Using data from a cross-sectional survey and biological indicators of health, we statistically modeled social-ecological variables representing individual, interpersonal, and community/institutional levels. Participants were 645 pregnant women. The social-ecological and combined models were the best-fitting models for HIV-related stigma, and the combined model was the best fit for HIV-related fear. Our findings suggest that combining reproductive life history factors along with individual, interpersonal, and community/institutional factors are significant indicators of HIV-related stigma and fear. Results of this study support a multifaceted approach to intervention development for HIV-related stigma and fear. The combined model in this study can be used as a predictive model for future research focused on HIV stigma and fear, with the intent that dual consideration of social-ecological and evolutionary theories will improve public health communication efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlyn D Placek
- Department of Anthropology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA.,Public Health Research Institute of India, Mysore, Karnataka, India
| | - Holly Nishimura
- School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Natalie Hudanick
- Department of Anthropology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA
| | - Dionne Stephens
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Purnima Madhivanan
- Department of Epidemiology, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA. .,Public Health Research Institute of India, Mysore, Karnataka, India.
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Venkatesh KK, Ferguson KK, Smith NA, Cantonwine DE, McElrath TF. Association of Antenatal Depression with Clinical Subtypes of Preterm Birth. Am J Perinatol 2019; 36:567-573. [PMID: 30551235 PMCID: PMC8522260 DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1675646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To estimate the association between antenatal depression and spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB) relative to medically indicated preterm birth (MPTB). STUDY DESIGN This was a secondary analysis of a nested case-control study of preterm birth (PTB). The exposure was a clinical diagnosis of antenatal depression. The outcome was PTB at <37 weeks classified as SPTB (spontaneous labor, preterm premature rupture of membranes, placental abruption, and cervical shortening); and MPTB (preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction). Multinomial logistic regression models compared women without PTB versus MPTB and SPTB, adjusting for age, race, parity, tobacco use, insurance status, and prepregnancy body mass index, and history of PTB for SPTB. RESULTS Among 443 pregnant women, 15.6% had an SPTB and 8.6% had an MPTB, and 16% were diagnosed with antenatal depression. Women with an SPTB were three times more likely to have antenatal depression compared with women without an SPTB (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.81; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.40-5.63). No significant association was identified between antenatal depression and MPTB (AOR: 1.77; 95% CI: 0.67-4.62). The association between antenatal depression and SPTB did not change after adjusting the aforementioned model for a history of PTB and antidepressant use. CONCLUSION Antenatal depression may differentially affect the risk of PTB through an increase in the odds of SPTB. These results have implications for future studies on prevention and treatment options for depression and PTB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kartik K Venkatesh
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina, (Chapel Hill, NC)
| | - Kelly K Ferguson
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (Research Triangle Park, NC)
| | - Nicole A Smith
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston, MA)
| | - David E Cantonwine
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston, MA)
| | - Thomas F McElrath
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston, MA)
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Association of antenatal depression with oxidative stress and impact on spontaneous preterm birth. J Perinatol 2019; 39:554-562. [PMID: 30723278 PMCID: PMC6463284 DOI: 10.1038/s41372-019-0317-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether antenatal depression is associated with oxidative stress and inflammation, and secondarily, whether the association between antenatal depression and spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB) is mediated by these biomarkers. STUDY DESIGN The primary outcome included urine oxidative stress biomarkers 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and 8-isoprostane and plasma inflammatory biomarkers measured at 10, 18, and 26 weeks and averaged within individual. Linear and logistic regression models were used, adjusting for age, race, parity, and pre-pregnancy body mass index. RESULTS Among 462 women, 8-isoprostane was higher among depressed women (geometric mean: 299.96 pg/mL vs. 237.01 pg/mL; p = 0.001). In multivariable analyses, antenatal depression was significantly associated with an increase in average 8-isoprostane (β: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.05-0.44; p = 0.01). The association of antenatal depression with SPTB was partially mediated by 8-isoprostane. Antenatal depression was not associated with 8-OHdG or inflammatory biomarkers. CONCLUSIONS Antenatal depression was associated with higher oxidative stress across pregnancy, namely 8-isoprostane, and may impact SPTB via oxidative stress.
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Osborne LM, Brar A, Klein SL. The role of Th17 cells in the pathophysiology of pregnancy and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Brain Behav Immun 2019; 76:7-16. [PMID: 30465878 PMCID: PMC6359933 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2018.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells play a key role in adaptive immune responses, and shifts among T cell classes occur in normal pregnancy. There is evidence for the role of TH17 cells and dysregulation of the TH17/Treg cell balance in morbidities and autoimmune diseases during pregnancy. Because TH17 responses may play a role in depression and anxiety outside of pregnancy, we hypothesize that TH17 responses and the balance of TH17/Treg activity may also contribute to the development of depression and anxiety during pregnancy. To explore this hypothesis, this review has three main aims: 1) to evaluate systematically the role of TH17 cells and cytokines during pregnancy; 2) to compare changes in the ratio of TH17/Treg cells during pregnancy morbidities with the changes that occur in depression and anxiety outside of pregnancy; and 3) to provide a basis for further research on TH17 cells in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, with an eye toward the development of novel therapeutics. We also review the limited literature concerning perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and hypothesize about the potential role of TH17 cells in these illnesses. Understanding the pathophysiology of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders will aid development of novel therapeutics that address immunological mechanisms, in addition to the serotonin system, which are targetable molecules in treating depression and anxiety during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M. Osborne
- Women’s Mood Disorders Center, Departments of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, and of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Amitoj Brar
- Women’s Mood Disorders Center, Departments of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, and of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Sabra L. Klein
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205
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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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Payne JL, Maguire J. Pathophysiological mechanisms implicated in postpartum depression. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 52:165-180. [PMID: 30552910 PMCID: PMC6370514 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
This review aims to summarize the diverse proposed pathophysiological mechanisms contributing to postpartum depression, highlighting both clinical and basic science research findings. The risk factors for developing postpartum depression are discussed, which may provide insight into potential neurobiological underpinnings. The evidence supporting a role for neuroendocrine changes, neuroinflammation, neurotransmitter alterations, circuit dysfunction, and the involvement of genetics and epigenetics in the pathophysiology of postpartum depression are discussed. This review integrates clinical and preclinical findings and highlights the diversity in the patient population, in which numerous pathophysiological changes may contribute to this disorder. Finally, we attempt to integrate these findings to understand how diverse neurobiological changes may contribute to a common pathological phenotype. This review is meant to serve as a comprehensive resource reviewing the proposed pathophysiological mechanisms underlying postpartum depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Payne
- Department of Psychiatry, Women's Mood Disorders Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jamie Maguire
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
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Buglione-Corbett R, Deligiannidis KM, Leung K, Zhang N, Lee M, Rosal MC, Moore Simas TA. Expression of inflammatory markers in women with perinatal depressive symptoms. Arch Womens Ment Health 2018; 21:671-679. [PMID: 29603018 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-018-0834-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Perinatal depression affects 10-20% of women and is associated with poor outcomes for mother and child. Inflammation is associated with depression in non-pregnant adults. Perinatal depression and inflammation in pregnancy are independently associated with morbidities including obesity, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and preterm birth. The role of inflammation in perinatal depression has received little attention. We hypothesized an association between self-reported perinatal depressive symptoms and serum inflammatory biomarkers TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and CRP. 110 healthy gravidas were recruited in third trimester from an academic medical center, with a baseline study visit at a mean of 32.5 (SD ± 1.8) weeks gestational age. Sixty-three participants completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and provided demographic information and serum samples upon enrollment and at 3 and 6 months postpartum. Serum inflammatory markers were quantified by multiplex array. Multiple linear mixed effects models were used to evaluate trends of biomarkers with the EPDS score in the third trimester of pregnancy and the postpartum period. Elevated serum TNF-α was associated with lower EPDS total score (β = - 0.90, p = 0.046) after adjusting for demographics and medication use. In contrast, IL-6, CRP, and IL-1β did not demonstrate statistically significant associations with depressive symptoms by the EPDS in either crude or adjusted models. Study findings showed no association or an inverse (TNF-α) association between inflammatory markers and perinatal depressive symptoms. Relevant literature evaluating a role for inflammation in depression in the unique context of pregnancy is both limited and inconsistent, and further exploration is merited.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Buglione-Corbett
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Massachusetts Medical School/UMass Memorial Health Care, 119 Belmont Street, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
| | - K M Deligiannidis
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Massachusetts Medical School/UMass Memorial Health Care, 119 Belmont Street, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - K Leung
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Massachusetts Medical School/UMass Memorial Health Care, 119 Belmont Street, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - N Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - M Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - M C Rosal
- Department of Medicine, Division of Preventative and Behavioral Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - T A Moore Simas
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Massachusetts Medical School/UMass Memorial Health Care, 119 Belmont Street, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
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Oxidative Stress, Maternal Diabetes, and Autism Spectrum Disorders. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2018; 2018:3717215. [PMID: 30524654 PMCID: PMC6247386 DOI: 10.1155/2018/3717215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of early-onset neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by alterations in brain connectivity with cascading effects on neuropsychological functions. To date, in the framework of an increasing interest about environmental conditions which could interact with genetic factors in ASD pathogenesis, many authors have stressed that changes in the intrauterine environment at different stages of pregnancy, such as those linked to maternal metabolic pathologies, may lead to long-term conditions in the newborn. In particular, a growing number of epidemiological studies have highlighted the role of obesity and maternal diabetes as a risk factor for developing both somatic and psychiatric disorders in humans, including ASD. While literature still fails in identifying specific etiopathological mechanisms, a growing body of evidence is available about the presence of a relationship between maternal immune dysregulation, inflammation, oxidative stress, and the development of ASD in the offspring. In this framework, results from high-fat diet animal models about the role played by oxidative stress in shaping offspring neurodevelopment may help in clarifying the pathways through which maternal metabolic conditions are linked with ASD. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of literature about the effects of early life insults linked to oxidative stress which may be involved in ASD etiopathogenesis and how this relationship can be explained in biological terms.
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Prenatal maternal stress, fetal programming, and mechanisms underlying later psychopathology-A global perspective. Dev Psychopathol 2018; 30:843-854. [PMID: 30068411 DOI: 10.1017/s095457941800038x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
There is clear evidence that the mother's stress, anxiety, or depression during pregnancy can alter the development of her fetus and her child, with an increased risk for later psychopathology. We are starting to understand some of the underlying mechanisms including the role of the placenta, gene-environment interactions, epigenetics, and specific systems including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and cytokines. In this review we also consider how these effects may be different, and potentially exacerbated, in different parts of the world. There can be many reasons for elevated prenatal stress, as in communities at war. There may be raised pregnancy-specific anxiety with high levels of maternal and infant death. There can be raised interpersonal violence (in Afghanistan 90.2% of women thought that "wife beating" was justified compared with 2.0% in Argentina). There may be interactions with nutritional deficiencies or with extremes of temperature. Prenatal stress alters the microbiome, and this can differ in different countries. Genetic differences in different ethnic groups may make some more vulnerable or more resilient to the effects of prenatal stress on child neurodevelopment. Most research on these questions has been in predominantly Caucasian samples from high-income countries. It is now time to understand more about prenatal stress and psychopathology, and the role of both social and biological differences, in the rest of the world.
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Gustafsson HC, Sullivan EL, Nousen EK, Sullivan CA, Huang E, Rincon M, Nigg JT, Loftis JM. Maternal prenatal depression predicts infant negative affect via maternal inflammatory cytokine levels. Brain Behav Immun 2018; 73:470-481. [PMID: 29920327 PMCID: PMC6129422 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2018.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2017] [Revised: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy are associated with risk for offspring emotional and behavioral problems, but the mechanisms by which this association occurs are not known. Infant elevated negative affect (increased crying, irritability, fearfulness, etc.) is a key risk factor for future psychopathology, so understanding its determinants has prevention and early intervention potential. An understudied yet promising hypothesis is that maternal mood affects infant mood via maternal prenatal inflammatory mechanisms, but this has not been prospectively examined in humans. Using data from a pilot study of women followed from the second trimester of pregnancy through six months postpartum (N = 68) our goal was to initiate a prospective study as to whether maternal inflammatory cytokines mediate the association between maternal depressive symptoms and infant offspring negative affect. The study sample was designed to examine a broad range of likely self-regulation and mood-regulation problems in offspring; to that end we over-selected women with a family history or their own history of elevated symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Results supported the hypothesis: maternal pro-inflammatory cytokines during the third trimester (indexed using a latent variable that included plasma interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 concentrations as indicators) mediated the effect, such that higher maternal depressive symptoms were associated with higher maternal inflammation, and this mediated the effect on maternal report of infant negative affect (controlling for maternal affect during the infant period). This is the first human study to demonstrate that maternal inflammatory cytokines mediate the association between prenatal depression and infant outcomes, and the first to demonstrate a biological mechanism through which depressive symptoms impact infant temperament.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna C Gustafsson
- Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR, USA.
| | - Elinor L Sullivan
- Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR, USA; Oregon National Primate Research Center, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR, USA; University of Oregon, 1585 E 13th Ave, Eugene, OR, USA.
| | - Elizabeth K Nousen
- Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR, USA.
| | - Ceri A Sullivan
- Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR, USA.
| | - Elaine Huang
- Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR, USA; VA Portland Health Care System, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Rd, Portland, OR, USA.
| | - Monica Rincon
- Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR, USA.
| | - Joel T Nigg
- Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR, USA.
| | - Jennifer M Loftis
- Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR, USA; VA Portland Health Care System, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Rd, Portland, OR, USA.
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Bränn E, Fransson E, White RA, Papadopoulos FC, Edvinsson Å, Kamali-Moghaddam M, Cunningham JL, Sundström-Poromaa I, Skalkidou A. Inflammatory markers in women with postpartum depressive symptoms. J Neurosci Res 2018; 98:1309-1321. [PMID: 30252150 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a devastating disorder affecting not only more than 10% of all women giving birth, but also the baby, the family, and the society. Compiling evidence suggests the involvement of the immune system in the pathophysiology of major depression; yet, the immune response in perinatal depression is not as well studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the alterations in peripheral levels of inflammatory biomarkers in 169 Swedish women with and without depressive symptoms according to the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale or the M.I.N.I neuropsychiatric interview at eight weeks postpartum. Among the 70 markers analyzed with multiplex proximity extension assay, five were significantly elevated in women with postpartum depressive symptoms in the adjusted LASSO logistic regression analysis: Tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily member (TRANCE) (OR-per 1 SD increase = 1.20), Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) (OR = 1.17) Interleukin (IL)-18 (OR = 1.06), Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) (OR = 1.25), and C-X-C motif chemokine 1 (CXCL1) (OR 1.11). These results indicate that women with PPD have elevated levels of some inflammatory biomarkers. It is, therefore, plausible that PPD is associated with a compromised adaptability of the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Bränn
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Emma Fransson
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | - Åsa Edvinsson
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Masood Kamali-Moghaddam
- Department of Immunology, Genetics & Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Janet L Cunningham
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Alkistis Skalkidou
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Cytokine, chemokine and BDNF levels in medication-free pediatric patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2018; 27:977-984. [PMID: 29302747 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-017-1099-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate whether the serum levels of IL-12, IL-17, TGFβ, TNF-alpha, sTNFR1, sTNFR2, IL-1β, CCL3, CCL24, CXCL8, and BDNF are associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in medication-free children. A total of 44 (22 boys/22 girls) medication-free children with OCD and 40 (23 boys/17 girls) healthy controls were included in this study. The severity of the OCD symptoms were assessed by the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale and the Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory. The Children's Depression Inventory and the Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders were applied to the children in order to determine depression and anxiety levels. IL-17, IL-12, TGF β, TNF-alpha, sTNFR1, sTNFR2, IL-1β, CCL3, CCL24, CXCL8, and BDNF levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) revealed a significant main effect on both groups for the levels of serum cytokine, chemokine, and BDNF, an effect that was independent of severities of depression and anxiety [Pillai's Trace V = 0.371, F (11, 70) = 3.756, p < 0.001, hp2 = 0.187]. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) indicated that serum TNF-alpha levels were significantly higher in the OCD group than in the control group (p < 0.001). In contrast, serum IL-12 levels were significantly lower in the OCD group than in the control group (p = 0.014). These findings suggest that TNF-alpha and IL-12 may play a role in the pathophysiology of OCD in children. The causal relationship between these proinflammatory cytokines and pediatric OCD requires further investigation.
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Abstract
Gestational inflammation may contribute to brain abnormalities associated with childhood neuropsychiatric disorders. Limited knowledge exists regarding the associations of maternal cytokine levels during pregnancy with offspring neurocognitive development. We assayed the concentrations of five cytokines (interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and IL-10) up to four times in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy using stored prenatal sera from 1366 participants in the New England Family Study (enrollment 1959-1966). Intelligence (IQ), academic achievement, and neuropsychological functioning of singleton offspring were assessed at age 7 years using standardized tests. We used linear mixed models with random effects to estimate the cumulative exposure to each cytokine during 2nd and 3rd trimesters, and then related cumulative cytokine exposure to a wide range of offspring neurocognitive outcomes. We found that children of women with higher levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine, TNF-α, in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters had lower IQ (B = -2.51, 99% CI: -4.84,-0.18), higher problem scores in visual-motor maturity (B = 0.12, 99% CI: 0.001,0.24), and lower Draw-a-Person test scores (B = -1.28, 99% CI: -2.49,-0.07). Higher gestational levels of IL-8, another pro-inflammatory molecule, were associated with better Draw-a-Person test scores and tactile finger recognition scores. Other cytokines were not associated with our outcome of interest. The opposing directions of associations observed between TNF-α and IL-8 with childhood outcomes suggest pleiotropic effects of gestational inflammation across the domains of neurocognitive functioning. Although the path to psychopathological disturbances in children is no doubt multifactorial, our findings point to a potential role for immune processes in the neurocognitive development of children.
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