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Lipner E, Mac Giollabhui N, Breen EC, Cohn BA, Krigbaum NY, Cirillo PM, Olino TM, Alloy LB, Ellman LM. Sex-Specific Pathways From Prenatal Maternal Inflammation to Adolescent Depressive Symptoms. JAMA Psychiatry 2024; 81:498-505. [PMID: 38324324 PMCID: PMC10851141 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.5458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Importance Prenatal maternal inflammation has been associated with major depressive disorder in offspring in adulthood as well as with internalizing and externalizing symptoms in childhood; however, the association between prenatal inflammation and offspring depression in adolescence has yet to be examined. Objective To determine whether maternal levels of inflammatory biomarkers during pregnancy are associated with depressive symptomatology in adolescent-aged offspring and to examine how gestational timing, offspring sex, and childhood psychiatric symptoms impact these associations. Design, Setting, and Participants This was an observational study of a population-based birth cohort from the Child Health and Development Studies (CHDS), which recruited almost all mothers receiving obstetric care from the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan (KFHP) in Alameda County, California, between June 1959 and September 1966. Pregnancy data and blood sera were collected from mothers, and offspring psychiatric symptom data were collected in childhood (ages 9-11 years) and adolescence (ages 15-17 years). Mother-offspring dyads with available maternal prenatal inflammatory biomarkers during first and/or second trimesters and offspring depressive symptom data at adolescent follow-up were included. Data analyses took place between March 2020 and June 2023. Exposures Levels of inflammatory biomarkers (interleukin 6 [IL-6], IL-8, IL-1 receptor antagonist [IL-1RA], and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-II) assayed from maternal sera in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. Main Outcomes and Measures Self-reported depressive symptoms at adolescent follow-up. Results A total of 674 mothers (mean [SD] age, 28.1 [5.9] years) and their offspring (350 male and 325 female) were included in this study. Higher second trimester IL-6 was significantly associated with greater depressive symptoms in offspring during adolescence (b, 0.57; SE, 0.26); P = .03). Moderated mediation analyses showed that childhood externalizing symptoms significantly mediated the association between first trimester IL-6 and adolescent depressive symptoms in male offspring (b, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.02-0.47), while childhood internalizing symptoms mediated the association between second trimester IL-1RA and adolescent depressive symptoms in female offspring (b, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.19-1.75). Conclusions and Relevance In this study, prenatal maternal inflammation was associated with depressive symptoms in adolescent-aged offspring. The findings of the study suggest that pathways to adolescent depressive symptomatology from prenatal risk factors may differ based on both the timing of exposure to prenatal inflammation and offspring sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Lipner
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Naoise Mac Giollabhui
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Elizabeth C. Breen
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Barbara A. Cohn
- Child Health and Development Studies, Public Health Institute, Berkeley, California
| | - Nickilou Y. Krigbaum
- Child Health and Development Studies, Public Health Institute, Berkeley, California
| | - Piera M. Cirillo
- Child Health and Development Studies, Public Health Institute, Berkeley, California
| | - Thomas M. Olino
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Lauren B. Alloy
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Lauren M. Ellman
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Zhou J, Tong J, Ru X, Teng Y, Geng M, Yan S, Tao F, Huang K. Placental inflammatory cytokines mRNA expression and preschool children's cognitive performance: a birth cohort study in China. BMC Med 2023; 21:449. [PMID: 37981714 PMCID: PMC10658981 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-023-03173-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The immunologic milieu at the maternal-fetal interface has profound effects on propelling the development of the fetal brain. However, accessible epidemiological studies concerning the association between placental inflammatory cytokines and the intellectual development of offspring in humans are limited. Therefore, we explored the possible link between mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines in placenta and preschoolers' cognitive performance. METHODS Study subjects were obtained from the Ma'anshan birth cohort (MABC). Placental samples were collected after delivery, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was utilized to measure the mRNA expression levels of IL-8, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, CRP, IFN-γ, IL-10, and IL-4. Children's intellectual development was assessed at preschool age by using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV). Multiple linear regression and restricted cubic spline models were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS A total of 1665 pairs of mother and child were included in the analysis. After adjusting for confounders and after correction for multiple comparisons, we observed that mRNA expression of IL-8 (β = - 0.53; 95% CI, - 0.92 to - 0.15), IL-6 (β = - 0.58; 95% CI, - 0.97 to - 0.19), TNF-α (β = - 0.37; 95% CI, - 0.71 to - 0.02), and IFN-γ (β = - 0.31; 95% CI, - 0.61 to - 0.03) in the placenta was negatively associated with preschoolers' full scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ). Both higher IL-8 and IL-6 were associated with lower children's low fluid reasoning index (FRI), and higher IFN-γ was associated with lower children's working memory index (WMI). After further adjusting for confounders and children's age at cognitive testing, the integrated index of six pro-inflammatory cytokines (index 2) was found to be significantly and negatively correlated with both the FSIQ and each sub-dimension (verbal comprehension index (VCI), visual spatial index (VSI), FRI, WMI, processing speed index (PSI)). Sex-stratified analyses showed that the association of IL-8, IFN-γ, and index 2 with children's cognitive development was mainly concentrated in boys. CONCLUSIONS Evidence of an association between low cognitive performance and high expression of placental inflammatory cytokines (IL-8, IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ) was found, highlighting the potential importance of intrauterine placental immune status in dissecting offspring cognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jixing Zhou
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (AHMU), MOE, Hefei, 230032, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Hefei, 230032, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Juan Tong
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (AHMU), MOE, Hefei, 230032, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Hefei, 230032, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Xue Ru
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (AHMU), MOE, Hefei, 230032, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Hefei, 230032, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Yuzhu Teng
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (AHMU), MOE, Hefei, 230032, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Hefei, 230032, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Menglong Geng
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (AHMU), MOE, Hefei, 230032, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Hefei, 230032, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Shuangqin Yan
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
- Maternal and Child Health Care Center of Ma'anshan, No 24 Jiashan Road, Ma'anshan 243011, Anhui, China
| | - Fangbiao Tao
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (AHMU), MOE, Hefei, 230032, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Hefei, 230032, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Kun Huang
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China.
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (AHMU), MOE, Hefei, 230032, China.
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Hefei, 230032, China.
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Hefei, 230032, China.
- Scientific Research Center in Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Anhui Province, China.
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Suleri A, Cecil C, Rommel AS, Hillegers M, White T, de Witte LD, Muetzel RL, Bergink V. Long-term effects of prenatal infection on the human brain: a prospective multimodal neuroimaging study. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:306. [PMID: 37789021 PMCID: PMC10547711 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02597-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
There is convincing evidence from rodent studies suggesting that prenatal infections affect the offspring's brain, but evidence in humans is limited. Here, we assessed the occurrence of common infections during each trimester of pregnancy and examined associations with brain outcomes in adolescent offspring. Our study was embedded in the Generation R Study, a large-scale sociodemographically diverse prospective birth cohort. We included 1094 mother-child dyads and investigated brain morphology (structural MRI), white matter microstructure (DTI), and functional connectivity (functional MRI), as outcomes at the age of 14. We focused on both global and focal regions. To define prenatal infections, we composed a score based on the number and type of infections during each trimester of pregnancy. Models were adjusted for several confounders. We found that prenatal infection was negatively associated with cerebral white matter volume (B = -0.069, 95% CI -0.123 to -0.015, p = 0.011), and we found an association between higher prenatal infection scores and smaller volumes of several frontotemporal regions of the brain. After multiple testing correction, we only observed an association between prenatal infections and the caudal anterior cingulate volume (B = -0.104, 95% CI -0.164 to -0.045, p < 0.001). We did not observe effects of prenatal infection on other measures of adolescent brain morphology, white matter microstructure, or functional connectivity, which is reassuring. Our results show potential regions of interest in the brain for future studies; data on the effect of severe prenatal infections on the offspring's brain in humans are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Suleri
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Charlotte Cecil
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anna-Sophie Rommel
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Manon Hillegers
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tonya White
- Section on Social and Cognitive Developmental Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lot D de Witte
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Ryan L Muetzel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Veerle Bergink
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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Spann MN, Bansal R, Aydin E, Pollatou A, Alleyne K, Bennett M, Sawardekar S, Cheng B, Lee S, Monk C, Peterson BS. Maternal prenatal immune activation associated with brain tissue microstructure and metabolite concentrations in newborn infants. medRxiv 2023:2023.07.01.23292113. [PMID: 37461481 PMCID: PMC10350159 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.01.23292113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Importance Few translational human studies have assessed the association of prenatal maternal immune activation with altered brain development and psychiatric risk in newborn offspring. Objective To identify the effects of maternal immune activation during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy on newborn brain metabolite concentrations, tissue microstructure, and longitudinal motor development. Design Prospective longitudinal cohort study conducted from 2012 - 2017. Setting Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Weill Cornell Medical College. Participants 76 nulliparous pregnant women, aged 14 to 19 years, were recruited in their 2nd trimester, and their children were followed through 14 months of age. Exposure Maternal immune activation indexed by maternal interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy. Main Outcomes and Measures The main outcomes included (1) newborn metabolite concentrations, measured as N-acetylaspartate, creatine, and choline using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; (2) newborn fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity measured using Diffusion Tensor Imaging; and (3) indices of motor development assessed prenatally and postnatally at ages 4- and 14-months. Results Maternal interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein levels in the 2nd or 3rd trimester were significantly positively associated with the N-acetylaspartate, creatine, and choline concentrations in the putamen, thalamus, insula, and anterior limb of the internal capsule. Maternal interleukin-6 was associated with fractional anisotropy in the putamen, insula, thalamus, precuneus, and caudate, and with mean diffusivity in the inferior parietal and middle temporal gyrus. C-reactive protein was associated with fractional anisotropy in the thalamus, insula, and putamen. Regional commonalities were found across imaging modalities, though the direction of the associations differed by immune marker. In addition, a significant positive association was observed between offspring motor development and both maternal interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein (in both trimesters) prenatally and 4- and 14-months of age. Conclusions and Relevance Using a healthy sample, these findings demonstrate that levels of maternal immune activation in mid- to late pregnancy associate with tissue characteristics in newborn brain regions primarily supporting motor integration/coordination and behavioral regulation and may lead to alterations in motor development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisa N Spann
- Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY
| | - Ravi Bansal
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- Department of Psychiatry, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Ezra Aydin
- Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Angeliki Pollatou
- Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Kiarra Alleyne
- Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Margaret Bennett
- Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | | | - Bin Cheng
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY
| | - Seonjoo Lee
- Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY
| | - Catherine Monk
- Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY
| | - Bradley S Peterson
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- Department of Psychiatry, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
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Pavlinek A, Matuleviciute R, Sichlinger L, Dutan Polit L, Armeniakos N, Vernon AC, Srivastava DP. Interferon-γ exposure of human iPSC-derived neurons alters major histocompatibility complex I and synapsin protein expression. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:836217. [PMID: 36186864 PMCID: PMC9515429 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.836217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Human epidemiological data links maternal immune activation (MIA) during gestation with increased risk for psychiatric disorders with a putative neurodevelopmental origin, including schizophrenia and autism. Animal models of MIA provide evidence for this association and suggest that inflammatory cytokines represent one critical link between maternal infection and any potential impact on offspring brain and behavior development. However, to what extent specific cytokines are necessary and sufficient for these effects remains unclear. It is also unclear how specific cytokines may impact the development of specific cell types. Using a human cellular model, we recently demonstrated that acute exposure to interferon-γ (IFNγ) recapitulates molecular and cellular phenotypes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Here, we extend this work to test whether IFNγ can impact the development of immature glutamatergic neurons using an induced neuronal cellular system. We find that acute exposure to IFNγ activates a signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1)-pathway in immature neurons, and results in significantly increased major histocompatibility complex I (MHCI) expression at the mRNA and protein level. Furthermore, acute IFNγ exposure decreased synapsin I/II protein in neurons but did not affect the expression of synaptic genes. Interestingly, complement component 4A (C4A) gene expression was significantly increased following acute IFNγ exposure. This study builds on our previous work by showing that IFNγ-mediated disruption of relevant synaptic proteins can occur at early stages of neuronal development, potentially contributing to neurodevelopmental disorder phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Pavlinek
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rugile Matuleviciute
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Sichlinger
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lucia Dutan Polit
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nikolaos Armeniakos
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony Christopher Vernon
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Deepak Prakash Srivastava
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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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. J Psychopathol Clin Sci 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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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Vlasova RM, Iosif AM, Ryan AM, Funk LH, Murai T, Chen S, Lesh TA, Rowland DJ, Bennett J, Hogrefe CE, Maddock RJ, Gandal MJ, Geschwind DH, Schumann CM, Van de Water J, McAllister AK, Carter CS, Styner MA, Amaral DG, Bauman MD. Maternal Immune Activation during Pregnancy Alters Postnatal Brain Growth and Cognitive Development in Nonhuman Primate Offspring. J Neurosci 2021; 41:9971-9987. [PMID: 34607967 PMCID: PMC8638691 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0378-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Human epidemiological studies implicate exposure to infection during gestation in the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. Animal models of maternal immune activation (MIA) have identified the maternal immune response as the critical link between maternal infection and aberrant offspring brain and behavior development. Here we evaluate neurodevelopment of male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) born to MIA-treated dams (n = 14) injected with a modified form of the viral mimic polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid at the end of the first trimester. Control dams received saline injections at the same gestational time points (n = 10) or were untreated (n = 4). MIA-treated dams exhibited a strong immune response as indexed by transient increases in sickness behavior, temperature, and inflammatory cytokines. Although offspring born to control or MIA-treated dams did not differ on measures of physical growth and early developmental milestones, the MIA-treated animals exhibited subtle changes in cognitive development and deviated from species-typical brain growth trajectories. Longitudinal MRI revealed significant gray matter volume reductions in the prefrontal and frontal cortices of MIA-treated offspring at 6 months that persisted through the final time point at 45 months along with smaller frontal white matter volumes in MIA-treated animals at 36 and 45 months. These findings provide the first evidence of early postnatal changes in brain development in MIA-exposed nonhuman primates and establish a translationally relevant model system to explore the neurodevelopmental trajectory of risk associated with prenatal immune challenge from birth through late adolescence.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Women exposed to infection during pregnancy have an increased risk of giving birth to a child who will later be diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder. Preclinical maternal immune activation (MIA) models have demonstrated that the effects of maternal infection on fetal brain development are mediated by maternal immune response. Since the majority of MIA models are conducted in rodents, the nonhuman primate provides a unique system to evaluate the MIA hypothesis in a species closely related to humans. Here we report the first longitudinal study conducted in a nonhuman primate MIA model. MIA-exposed offspring demonstrate subtle changes in cognitive development paired with marked reductions in frontal gray and white matter, further supporting the association between prenatal immune challenge and alterations in offspring neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roza M Vlasova
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514
| | - Ana-Maria Iosif
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Amy M Ryan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- The MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, 95616
| | - Lucy H Funk
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Takeshi Murai
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, 95616
| | - Shuai Chen
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Tyler A Lesh
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Douglas J Rowland
- Center for Genomic and Molecular Imaging, University of California, Davis, California, 95616
| | - Jeffrey Bennett
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Casey E Hogrefe
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, 95616
| | - Richard J Maddock
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Michael J Gandal
- Neurogenetics Program, Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, 90095
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Neurogenetics Program, Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, 90095
| | - Cynthia M Schumann
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- The MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Judy Van de Water
- The MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- Rheumatology/Allergy and Clinical Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - A Kimberley McAllister
- The MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, California, 95618
| | - Cameron S Carter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Martin A Styner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514
- Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599
| | - David G Amaral
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- The MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, 95616
| | - Melissa D Bauman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- The MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, 95616
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O'Connor TG, Ciesla AA. Maternal Immune Activation Hypotheses for Human Neurodevelopment: Some Outstanding Questions. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci 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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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