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Gillespie SL, Christian LM, Mackos AR, Nolan TS, Gondwe KW, Anderson CM, Hall MW, Williams KP, Slavich GM. Lifetime stressor exposure, systemic inflammation during pregnancy, and preterm birth among Black American women. Brain Behav Immun 2022; 101:266-274. [PMID: 35031400 PMCID: PMC8885874 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Although Black American mothers and infants are at higher risk for morbidity and mortality than their White counterparts, the biological mechanisms underlying these phenomena remain largely unknown. To investigate the role that lifetime stressor exposure, perceived stressor severity, and systemic inflammatory markers might play, we studied how these factors were interrelated in 92 pregnant Black American women. We also compared inflammatory marker levels for women who did versus did not go on to give birth preterm. During the early third trimester, women completed the Stress and Adversity Inventory for Adults to assess the stressors they experienced over their lifetime. Women also provided blood samples for plasma interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α quantification. Preterm births were identified by medical record review. Controlling for relevant covariates, there were significant positive associations between average levels of both overall and acute perceived stressor severity and plasma IL-1β levels. Controlling for perceived stress at assessment and exposure to racial discrimination did not affect these results. Mediation models revealed that exposure to more chronic stressors was related to higher plasma IL-1β levels, as mediated by higher average levels of overall perceived stressor severity. Exposure to fewer acute stressors was related to higher plasma IL-1β levels, as mediated by higher average levels of acute perceived stressor severity. Finally, women who went on to give birth preterm had higher levels of plasma IL-6. These data thus highlight the potential importance of assessing and addressing lifetime stressor exposure among mothers before and during maternal-infant care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon L. Gillespie
- College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA,Please address correspondence to Shannon L. Gillespie, 358 Newton Hall, 1585 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, USA; 1-614-292-4589 Office;
| | - Lisa M. Christian
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA,Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Amy R. Mackos
- College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Timiya S. Nolan
- College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Kaboni W. Gondwe
- College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA,Center for Advancing Population Science, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA,Department of Nursing Research & Evidence-based Practice, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | | | - Mark W. Hall
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA,Research Institute, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - George M. Slavich
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology and Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA
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