Inflammatory and Epigenetic Pathways for Perinatal Depression

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 331-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey Garfield ◽  
Herbert L. Mathews ◽  
Linda Witek Janusek
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Infant Health ◽  
Perinatal Depression ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Perinatal Period ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Impact

Depression during the perinatal period is common and can have adverse consequences for women and their children. Yet, the biobehavioral mechanisms underlying perinatal depression are not known. Adverse early life experiences increase the risk for adult depression. One potential mechanism by which this increased risk occurs is epigenetic embedding of inflammatory pathways. The purpose of this article is to propose a conceptual model that explicates the linkage between early life adversity and the risk for maternal depression. The model posits that early life adversity embeds a proinflammatory epigenetic signature (altered DNA methylation) that predisposes vulnerable women to depression during pregnancy and the postpartum period. As proposed, women with a history of early life adversity are more likely to exhibit higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines and lower levels of oxytocin in response to the demands of pregnancy and new motherhood, both of which are associated with the risk for perinatal depression. The model is designed to guide investigations into the biobehavioral basis for perinatal depression, with emphasis upon the impact of early life adversity. Testing this model will provide a better understanding of maternal depressive risk and improve identification of vulnerable women who would benefit from targeted interventions that can reduce the impact of perinatal depression on maternal–infant health.

scholarly journals Early life adversity, dispositional mindfulness, and longitudinal stress experience during the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annika Benz ◽  
Maria Meier ◽  
Ulrike U. Bentele ◽  
Stephanie J. Dimitroff ◽  
Bernadette Denk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Dispositional Mindfulness ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Stress Buffering ◽  
Psychopathological Symptoms ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Impact

Experiencing severe or prolonged stressors in early life is associated with increased risk for mental and physical disorders in adulthood. Further, individuals who experienced early life stress (ELS) may use dysfunctional coping strategies like stress-related eating, in contrast to more beneficial stress buffering mechanisms e.g. based on mindfulness. Whether these mechanisms contribute to increased levels of perceived stress and symptoms of mental disorders in individuals with ELS in times of crisis is yet unclear. As part of a larger project, we assessed changes in perceived stress and psychopathological symptoms in a sample of N=102 participants (81% female; meanage=23.49, SDage= 7.11, range 18–62) from October/December 2019 (prior to the Covid-19 pandemic) to April/June 2020 (after the German government introduced Covid-19 related restrictions). Additionally, we assessed ELS and dispositional mindfulness.Perceived stress and depression significantly increased while anxiety levels decreased. No significant change was observed for somatization. ELS and dispositional mindfulness were not associated with change scores, but with perceived stress and psychopathological symptoms at both assessments. The increase in perceived stress during the pandemic in a majority of participants demonstrates the impact of the pandemic in the general population.

scholarly journals Perinatal Cat and Dog Exposure and the Risk of Asthma and Allergy in the Urban Environment: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline J. Lodge ◽  
Katrina J. Allen ◽  
Adrian J. Lowe ◽  
David J. Hill ◽  
Cliff S. Hosking ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Longitudinal Studies ◽  
Allergic Disease ◽  
Allergic Diseases ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Perinatal Period ◽  
Perinatal Exposure ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Impact

Background. The literature is contradictory concerning pet exposure and the risk of development of asthma and other allergic diseases. Using longitudinal studies, we aimed to systematically review the impact of pet ownership in the critical perinatal period as a risk factor for allergies in childhood.Methods. Medline database was searched for urban cohort studies with perinatal exposure to cats and/or dogs and subsequent asthma or allergic disease.Results. Nine articles, comprising 6498 participants, met inclusion criteria. Six found a reduction in allergic disease associated with perinatal exposure to dogs or, cats or dogs. One study found no association. Two found increased risk only in high-risk groups.Conclusion. Longitudinal studies in urban populations suggest that perinatal pets, especially dogs, may reduce the development of allergic disease in those without a family history of allergy. Other unmeasured factors such as pet-keeping choices in allergic families may be confounding the association seen in these high-risk families, and further study is required.

The impact of early life gut colonization on metabolic and obesogenic outcomes: what have animal models shown us?

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. G. Wallace ◽  
W. Gohir ◽  
D. M. Sloboda
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Maternal Obesity ◽  
Communicable Disease ◽  
Critical Periods ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Gut Colonization ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Impact

The rise in the occurrence of obesity to epidemic proportions has made it a global concern. Great difficulty has been experienced in efforts to control this growing problem with lifestyle interventions. Thus, attention has been directed to understanding the events of one of the most critical periods of development, perinatal life. Early life adversity driven by maternal obesity has been associated with an increased risk of metabolic disease and obesity in the offspring later in life. Although a mechanistic link explaining the relationship between maternal and offspring obesity is still under investigation, the gut microbiota has come forth as a new factor that may play a role modulating metabolic function of both the mother and the offspring. Emerging evidence suggests that the gut microbiota plays a much larger role in mediating the risk of developing non-communicable disease, including obesity and metabolic dysfunction in adulthood. With the observation that the early life colonization of the neonatal and postnatal gut is mediated by the perinatal environment, the number of studies investigating early life gut microbial establishment continues to grow. This paper will review early life gut colonization in experimental animal models, concentrating on the role of the early life environment in offspring gut colonization and the ability of the gut microbiota to dictate risk of disease later in life.

scholarly journals Gene regulation contributes to explain the impact of early life socioeconomic disadvantage on adult inflammatory levels in two cohort studies

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristian Carmeli ◽  
Zoltán Kutalik ◽  
Pashupati P. Mishra ◽  
Eleonora Porcu ◽  
Cyrille Delpierre ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Gene Regulation ◽  
Cohort Studies ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Socioeconomic Disadvantage ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractIndividuals experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage in childhood have a higher rate of inflammation-related diseases decades later. Little is known about the mechanisms linking early life experiences to the functioning of the immune system in adulthood. To address this, we explore the relationship across social-to-biological layers of early life social exposures on levels of adulthood inflammation and the mediating role of gene regulatory mechanisms, epigenetic and transcriptomic profiling from blood, in 2,329 individuals from two European cohort studies. Consistently across both studies, we find transcriptional activity explains a substantive proportion (78% and 26%) of the estimated effect of early life disadvantaged social exposures on levels of adulthood inflammation. Furthermore, we show that mechanisms other than cis DNA methylation may regulate those transcriptional fingerprints. These results further our understanding of social-to-biological transitions by pinpointing the role of gene regulation that cannot fully be explained by differential cis DNA methylation.

scholarly journals Past medical history of tumors other than meningioma is a negative prognostic factor for tumor recurrence in meningiomas WHO grade I

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annamaria Biczok ◽  
Philipp Karschnia ◽  
Raffaela Vitalini ◽  
Markus Lenski ◽  
Tobias Greve ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical History ◽  
Tumor Recurrence ◽  
Clinical History ◽  
Study Endpoint ◽  
Past Medical History ◽  
Who Grade ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
History Of ◽  
Meningioma Recurrence ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Prognostic markers for meningioma recurrence are needed to guide patient management. Apart from rare hereditary syndromes, the impact of a previous unrelated tumor disease on meningioma recurrence has not been described before. Methods We retrospectively searched our database for patients with meningioma WHO grade I and complete resection provided between 2002 and 2016. Demographical, clinical, pathological, and outcome data were recorded. The following covariates were included in the statistical model: age, sex, clinical history of unrelated tumor disease, and localization (skull base vs. convexity). Particular interest was paid to the patients’ past medical history. The study endpoint was date of tumor recurrence on imaging. Prognostic factors were obtained from multivariate proportional hazards models. Results Out of 976 meningioma patients diagnosed with a meningioma WHO grade I, 416 patients fulfilled our inclusion criteria. We encountered 305 women and 111 men with a median age of 57 years (range: 21–89 years). Forty-six patients suffered from a tumor other than meningioma, and no TERT mutation was detected in these patients. There were no differences between patients with and without a positive oncological history in terms of age, tumor localization, or mitotic cell count. Clinical history of prior tumors other than meningioma showed the strongest association with meningioma recurrence (p = 0.004, HR = 3.113, CI = 1.431–6.771) both on uni- and multivariate analysis. Conclusion Past medical history of tumors other than meningioma might be associated with an increased risk of meningioma recurrence. A detailed pre-surgical history might help to identify patients at risk for early recurrence.

scholarly journals Blunted stress reactivity reveals vulnerability to early life adversity in young adults with a family history of alcoholism

Addiction ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 114 (5) ◽  
pp. 798-806 ◽  
Author(s):  
William R. Lovallo ◽  
Andrew J. Cohoon ◽  
Ashley Acheson ◽  
Kristen H. Sorocco ◽  
Andrea S. Vincent
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Family History ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Stress Reactivity ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
History Of

scholarly journals Maternal separation in rodents: a journey from gut to brain and nutritional perspectives

2019 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Rincel ◽  
Muriel Darnaudéry
Keyword(s):  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Maternal Separation ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Critical Window ◽  
Beneficial Impact ◽  
The Impact

The developmental period constitutes a critical window of sensitivity to stress. Indeed, early-life adversity increases the risk to develop psychiatric diseases, but also gastrointestinal disorders such as the irritable bowel syndrome at adulthood. In the past decade, there has been huge interest in the gut–brain axis, especially as regards stress-related emotional behaviours. Animal models of early-life adversity, in particular, maternal separation (MS) in rodents, demonstrate lasting deleterious effects on both the gut and the brain. Here, we review the effects of MS on both systems with a focus on stress-related behaviours. In addition, we discuss more recent findings showing the impact of gut-directed interventions, including nutrition with pre- and probiotics, illustrating the role played by gut microbiota in mediating the long-term effects of MS. Overall, preclinical studies suggest that nutritional approaches with pro- and prebiotics may constitute safe and efficient strategies to attenuate the effects of early-life stress on the gut–brain axis. Further research is required to understand the complex mechanisms underlying gut–brain interaction dysfunctions after early-life stress as well as to determine the beneficial impact of gut-directed strategies in a context of early-life adversity in human subjects.

scholarly journals Stress and Growth in children and adolescents

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Mousikou ◽  
Andreas Kyriakou ◽  
Nicos Skordis
Keyword(s):  
Growth Hormone ◽  
Stress Response ◽  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Stress System ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Conservation Of Energy ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
The Impact

The infantile, childhood, and adolescent periods of growth and development represent times of increased vulnerability to stressors. The rate of growth in each period depends on the interplay of genetic, environmental, dietary, socioeconomic, developmental, behavioral, nutritional, metabolic, biochemical, and hormonal factors. A stressor may have an impact on growth directly through modulation of the growth hormone axis or indirectly through modulation of other factors. The adaptive response to stressors culminates in behavioral, physiological, and biochemical responses, which together support survival and conservation of energy. The process begins within seconds and involves activation of sympathetic nervous system and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis. The time-limited stress response is at once anti-growth, anti-reproductive and catabolic with no lasting adverse consequences. However, chronic activation of the stress system and hypercortisolism have consequential negative impacts on growth, thyroid function, reproduction-puberty, and metabolism. They suppress Growth Hormone-Insulin like growth factor 1, Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal and Thyroid axes and can be responsible for an increase in visceral adiposity, a decrease in lean mass, suppression of osteoblastic activity with risk of osteoporosis, and induction of insulin resistance. Early life adversities, emotional or physical, have been associated with long-term negative physical and mental health outcomes. There are many models of chronic stress that corroborate that early life adversities affect optimal growth and have consequences throughout the lifespan. Targeted interventions to reduce stress during infancy, childhood and adolescence can have far reaching benefits to long-term health as well as attaining adequate growth. In this review we describe the neuroendocrinology of the stress response, the factors influencing growth, and the impact of chronic stress on growth during critical periods of infancy, childhood, and puberty with reference to each of growth, thyroid, and gonadal axis.

scholarly journals Call for Emergency Room Guidelines to Identify Hyperthyroid Patients Prior to Contrast Imaging

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A922-A923
Author(s):  
Sandhya Bassin ◽  
Louis F Amorosa
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Emergency Room ◽  
Definitive Treatment ◽  
Graves Disease ◽  
Contrast Imaging ◽  
Iodinated Contrast ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hyperthyroid Patients

Abstract Background: Thyrotoxicosis can be mistaken for conditions such as atrial fibrillation and pulmonary embolism (PE) given the nonspecific symptoms of fatigue, palpitations, and dyspnea. Patients often undergo further imaging on presentation to the emergency room (ER), many of which use iodine for contrast. This can put patients at increased risk for iodine induced hyperthyroidism and delay definitive treatment in patients with Graves’ disease, the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. Clinical Case: A 53-year-old male with history of hyperthyroidism, atrial fibrillation, and prior PE presented with palpitations to the ER. He developed worsening dyspnea on exertion and palpitations over the last three days. He was unable to afford his medications, including methimazole, for the last nine months. In the ER he was in atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response. Due to concern for PE, he underwent a CTA with contrast, which was negative. His physical exam was notable for a diffusely enlarged goiter. His labs showed low TSH <0.01 (norm 0.35-5.50mIU/L) and high free T4 >7.77 (norm 0.9-1.8ng/dL). TSH stimulating antibodies were elevated at 1.9 (norm <1.3 TSI index), consistent with Graves’ hyperthyroidism. Endocrinology was then consulted for severe thyrotoxicosis, initially treating the patient with PTU and propranolol. The patient was transitioned to methimazole and continued propranolol on discharge. Since he was given contrast, plan was for repeat thyroid uptake scan and iodine ablation in 3 months. However, patient was not compliant with medications, resulting in readmission for thyrotoxicosis 3 months later. Conclusion: This case highlights the impact of increased use of contrast in imaging in hyperthyroid patients. Hyperthyroid patients are at an increased risk for emboli. However, iodine can cause contrast-induced hyperthyroidism and delay definitive treatment of Graves’ disease. As almost half of thyrotoxic patients receive iodinated contrast prior to an endocrine consultation, endocrinologists should work with emergency physicians to develop a set of guidelines to identify at risk populations for hyperthyroidism (1). We advocate for urgent thyroid testing in patients with new onset atrial fibrillation, a history of Graves’ disease, specific symptoms of Graves’, or those taking thyrotoxic-inducing medications. This will assist in determining if patients should receive a prophylactic dose of anti-thyroid medication prior to iodinated contrast imaging. These guidelines can help prevent contrast induced hyperthyroidism and disruptions in treatment of Graves’ while still imaging patients for other diagnoses on the differential. Reference: (1) Giacomini A, et al. Urgent thyroid-stimulating hormone testing in emergency medicine: A useful tool? J Emerg Med. 2015;49(4):481-487.

scholarly journals The differential calibration of the HPA axis as a function of trauma versus adversity: A systematic review and p-curve meta-analyses

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niki H. Kamkar ◽  
Cassandra J Lowe ◽  
J. Bruce Morton
Keyword(s):  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Curve Analysis ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Cortisol Reactivity ◽  
Evidential Value ◽  
Dsm 5 ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
The Relationship

Although there is an abundance of evidence linking the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to adverse early-life experiences, the precise nature of the association remains unclear. Some evidence suggests early-life adversity leads to cortisol hyper-reactivity, while other evidence suggests adversity leads to cortisol hypo-reactivity. Here, we distinguish between trauma and adversity, and use p-curves to interrogate the conflicting literature. In Study 1, trauma was operationalized according to DSM-5 criteria; the p-curve analysis included 68 articles and revealed that the literature reporting associations between trauma and blunted cortisol reactivity contains evidential value. Study 2 examined the relationship between adversity and cortisol reactivity. Thirty articles were included in the analysis, and p-curve demonstrated that adversity is related to heightened cortisol reactivity. These results support an inverted U-shaped function relating severity of adversity and cortisol reactivity, and underscore the importance of distinguishing between “trauma” and “adversity”.

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