Geospatial Analysis of Neighborhood Environmental Stress in Relation to Biological Markers of Cardiovascular Health and Health Behaviors in Women: Protocol for a Pilot Study

Background Innovative analyses of cardiovascular (CV) risk markers and health behaviors linked to neighborhood stressors are essential to further elucidate the mechanisms by which adverse neighborhood social conditions lead to poor CV outcomes. We propose to objectively measure physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior, and neighborhood stress using accelerometers, GPS, and real-time perceived ecological momentary assessment via smartphone apps and to link these to biological measures in a sample of White and African American women in Washington, DC, neighborhoods. Objective The primary aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that living in adverse neighborhood social conditions is associated with higher stress-related neural activity among 60 healthy women living in high or low socioeconomic status neighborhoods in Washington, DC. Sub-aim 1 of this study is to test the hypothesis that the association is moderated by objectively measured PA using an accelerometer. A secondary objective is to test the hypothesis that residing in adverse neighborhood social environment conditions is related to differences in vascular function. Sub-aim 2 of this study is to test the hypothesis that the association is moderated by objectively measured PA. The third aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that adverse neighborhood social environment conditions are related to differences in immune system activation. Methods The proposed study will be cross-sectional, with a sample of at least 60 women (30 healthy White women and 30 healthy Black women) from Wards 3 and 5 in Washington, DC. A sample of the women (n=30) will be recruited from high-income areas in Ward 3 from census tracts within a 15% of Ward 3’s range for median household income. The other participants (n=30) will be recruited from low-income areas in Wards 5 from census tracts within a 15% of Ward 5’s range for median household income. Finally, participants from Wards 3 and 5 will be matched based on age, race, and BMI. Participants will wear a GPS unit and accelerometer and report their stress and mood in real time using a smartphone. We will then examine the associations between GPS-derived neighborhood variables, stress-related neural activity measures, and adverse biological markers. Results The National Institutes of Health Institutional Review Board has approved this study. Recruitment will begin in the summer of 2021. Conclusions Findings from this research could inform the development of multilevel behavioral interventions and policies to better manage environmental factors that promote immune system activation or psychosocial stress while concurrently working to increase PA, thereby influencing CV health. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/29191

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Geospatial Analysis of Neighborhood Environmental Stress in Relation to Biological Markers of Cardiovascular Health and Health Behaviors in Women: Protocol for a Pilot Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.29191 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kosuke Tamura ◽

Kaveri Curlin ◽

Sam J Neally ◽

Nithya P Vijayakumar ◽

Valerie M Mitchell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

Neural Activity ◽

Household Income ◽

Social Conditions ◽

Washington Dc ◽

Median Household Income ◽

Census Tracts ◽

Immune System Activation ◽

System Activation ◽

Objectively Measured

BACKGROUND Innovative analyses of cardiovascular (CV) risk markers and health behaviors linked to neighborhood stressors are essential to further elucidate the mechanisms by which adverse neighborhood social conditions lead to poor CV outcomes. We propose to objectively measure physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior, and neighborhood stress using accelerometers, GPS, and real-time perceived ecological momentary assessment via smartphone apps and to link these to biological measures in a sample of White and African American women in Washington, DC, neighborhoods. OBJECTIVE The primary aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that living in adverse neighborhood social conditions is associated with higher stress-related neural activity among 60 healthy women living in high or low socioeconomic status neighborhoods in Washington, DC. Sub-aim 1 of this study is to test the hypothesis that the association is moderated by objectively measured PA using an accelerometer. A secondary objective is to test the hypothesis that residing in adverse neighborhood social environment conditions is related to differences in vascular function. Sub-aim 2 of this study is to test the hypothesis that the association is moderated by objectively measured PA. The third aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that adverse neighborhood social environment conditions are related to differences in immune system activation. METHODS The proposed study will be cross-sectional, with a sample of at least 60 women (30 healthy White women and 30 healthy Black women) from Wards 3 and 5 in Washington, DC. A sample of the women (n=30) will be recruited from high-income areas in Ward 3 from census tracts within a 15% of Ward 3’s range for median household income. The other participants (n=30) will be recruited from low-income areas in Wards 5 from census tracts within a 15% of Ward 5’s range for median household income. Finally, participants from Wards 3 and 5 will be matched based on age, race, and BMI. Participants will wear a GPS unit and accelerometer and report their stress and mood in real time using a smartphone. We will then examine the associations between GPS-derived neighborhood variables, stress-related neural activity measures, and adverse biological markers. RESULTS The National Institutes of Health Institutional Review Board has approved this study. Recruitment will begin in the summer of 2021. CONCLUSIONS Findings from this research could inform the development of multilevel behavioral interventions and policies to better manage environmental factors that promote immune system activation or psychosocial stress while concurrently working to increase PA, thereby influencing CV health. CLINICALTRIAL INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT PRR1-10.2196/29191

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Balloon cells promote immune system activation in focal cortical dysplasia type 2B

Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology ◽

10.1111/nan.12736 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Till S. Zimmer ◽

Diede W.M. Broekaart ◽

Mark Luinenburg ◽

Caroline Mijnsbergen ◽

Jasper J. Anink ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

Focal Cortical Dysplasia ◽

Cortical Dysplasia ◽

Balloon Cells ◽

Immune System Activation ◽

System Activation

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Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES) With Immune System Activation, VEGF Up-Regulation, and Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy

Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography ◽

10.1097/rct.0b013e3181f31917 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 35 (1) ◽

pp. 39-42 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Julia Kofler ◽

Walter S. Bartynski ◽

Thomas Q. Reynolds ◽

Frank S. Lieberman ◽

Geoffrey H. Murdoch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy ◽

Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome ◽

Amyloid Angiopathy ◽

Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy ◽

Immune System Activation ◽

System Activation ◽

Cerebral Amyloid ◽

Reversible Encephalopathy

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Expression of Phosphocitrate-Targeted Genes in Osteoarthritis Menisci

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2014/210469 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-17 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Yubo Sun ◽

David R. Mauerhan ◽

Nury M. Steuerwald ◽

Jane Ingram ◽

Jeffrey S. Kneisl ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor ◽

Collagen Type ◽

Skeletal Development ◽

Growth Factor Receptor ◽

Type Ii ◽

Immune System Activation ◽

System Activation ◽

Disease Modifying

Phosphocitrate (PC) inhibited calcium crystal-associated osteoarthritis (OA) in Hartley guinea pigs. However, the molecular mechanisms remain elusive. This study sought to determine PC targeted genes and the expression of select PC targeted genes in OA menisci to test hypothesis that PC exerts its disease modifying activity in part by reversing abnormal expressions of genes involved in OA. We found that PC downregulated the expression of numerous genes classified in immune response, inflammatory response, and angiogenesis, including chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 5, Fc fragment of IgG, low affinity IIIb receptor (FCGR3B), and leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor, subfamily B member 3 (LILRB3). In contrast, PC upregulated the expression of many genes classified in skeletal development, including collagen type II alpha1, fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3), and SRY- (sex determining region Y-) box 9 (SOX-9). Immunohistochemical examinations revealed higher levels of FCGR3B and LILRB3 and lower level of SOX-9 in OA menisci. These findings indicate that OA is a disease associated with immune system activation and decreased expression of SOX-9 gene in OA menisci. PC exerts its disease modifying activity on OA, at least in part, by targeting immune system activation and the production of extracellular matrix and selecting chondroprotective proteins.

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A mechanistic study of immune system activation by fusion of antigens with the ligand-binding domain of CTLA4

Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy ◽

10.1007/s00262-006-0153-7 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 55 (12) ◽

pp. 1504-1514 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Dhanalakshmi Chinnasamy ◽

Matt Tector ◽

Nachimuthu Chinnasamy ◽

Kate Dennert ◽

Karen M. Kozinski ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

Ligand Binding ◽

Binding Domain ◽

Ligand Binding Domain ◽

Mechanistic Study ◽

Immune System Activation ◽

System Activation

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Increased Protein Citrullination as a Trigger for Resident Immune System Activation, Intraretinal Inflammation, and Promotion of Anti-retinal Autoimmunity: Intersecting Paths in Retinal Degenerations of Potential Therapeutic Relevance

Retinal Degenerative Diseases - Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ◽

10.1007/978-3-030-27378-1_29 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 175-179 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Alessandro Iannaccone ◽

Marko Z. Radic

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

Retinal Degenerations ◽

Therapeutic Relevance ◽

Immune System Activation ◽

System Activation

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Peer Review #2 of "Effects of invasion history on physiological responses to immune system activation in invasive Australian cane toads (v0.1)"

10.7287/peerj.3856v0.1/reviews/2 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

G Vimercati

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

Peer Review ◽

Physiological Responses ◽

Invasion History ◽

Immune System Activation ◽

System Activation

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Deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt hypertension activates placental growth factor in the spleen to couple sympathetic drive and immune system activation

Cardiovascular Research ◽

10.1093/cvr/cvy001 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 114 (3) ◽

pp. 456-467 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Marialuisa Perrotta ◽

Andrea Lori ◽

Lorenzo Carnevale ◽

Stefania Fardella ◽

Giuseppe Cifelli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

Growth Factor ◽

Placental Growth Factor ◽

Deoxycorticosterone Acetate ◽

Immune System Activation ◽

Acetate Salt ◽

Salt Hypertension ◽

System Activation

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Abstract P145: Renal Inflammation and Injury is Associated with Increased Lymphangiogenesis in Hypertension

Hypertension ◽

10.1161/hyp.68.suppl_1.p145 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 68 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Sterling C Kneedler ◽

Lauren Phillips ◽

Kayla R Hudson ◽

Katharine M Beckman ◽

Alan R Parrish ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Immune System ◽

Immune Cells ◽

Lymphatic Vessels ◽

Macrophage Infiltration ◽

Shr Rats ◽

Renal Inflammation ◽

Immune System Activation ◽

System Activation ◽

Fischer Rats

Hypertension is associated with immune system activation and inflammation. Renal infiltration of both innate and adaptive immune cells contributes to injury, dysfunction, and increased blood pressure. Activated immune cells that exit blood vessels into the interstitium then travel through lymphatic vessels to draining lymph nodes where they signal to other immune cells to increase the immune response. It is unknown how renal lymphatic vessels change in the context of hypertension, immune system activation, inflammation, and injury. We hypothesized that renal macrophage infiltration, inflammation, and injury would significantly increase lymphangiogenesis in various strains of rats. SHR rats that exhibit hypertension and renal injury (SHR-A3 strain) had significantly increased numbers of renal lymphatic vessels at 40 weeks of age compared to WKY controls (total of 3 fields of view: 52 ± 1 vs. 28 ± 1; p<0.05). This was associated with increased renal macrophage infiltration. SHR rats that exhibit hypertension but minimal renal injury (SHR-B2 strain) had significantly less renal lymphatic vessel numbers compared to WKY controls (25 ± 2 vs. 28 ± 1; p<0.05) and normal levels of macrophages. The signals for lymphangiogenesis, VEGF-C and its receptor VEGF-R3, were both increased significantly at the protein level in the kidneys of SHR-A3 rats at 18 weeks but not different in the kidneys of SHR-B2 rats compared to WKY controls. To test whether the increased lymphangiogensis is due to hypertension and/or renal inflammation and injury, we obtained kidneys from Fischer 344 rats that exhibit normal blood pressure but develop renal inflammation and injury as they age. Compared to kidneys from control 4-month old Fischer rats, kidneys from 20-month and 24-month old Fischer rats had significantly increased numbers of lymphatic vessels (32 ± 3 vs. 74 ± 1 vs. 110 ± 6, respectively; p<0.05) and this was also associated with increased macrophage infiltration. Protein levels of VEGF-C and VEGF-R3 were increased significantly in 20-month old Fischer rats compared to 4-month old controls. These data together demonstrate that renal immune cell infiltration, inflammation, and injury increases lymphangiogenesis.

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