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Kelly LA, Branagan A, Semova G, Molloy EJ. Sex differences in neonatal brain injury and inflammation. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1243364. [PMID: 37954620 PMCID: PMC10634351 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1243364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Neonatal brain injury and associated inflammation is more common in males. There is a well-recognised difference in incidence and outcome of neonatal encephalopathy according to sex with a pronounced male disadvantage. Neurodevelopmental differences manifest from an early age in infancy with females having a lower incidence of developmental delay and learning difficulties in comparison with males and male sex has consistently been identified as a risk factor for cerebral palsy in epidemiological studies. Important neurobiological differences exist between the sexes with respect to neuronal injury which are especially pronounced in preterm neonates. There are many potential reasons for these sex differences including genetic, immunological and hormonal differences but there are limited studies of neonatal immune response. Animal models with induced neonatal hypoxia have shown various sex differences including an upregulated immune response and increased microglial activation in males. Male sex is recognized to be a risk factor for neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) during the perinatal period and this review discusses in detail the sex differences in brain injury in preterm and term neonates and some of the potential new therapies with possible sex affects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynne A. Kelly
- Discipline of Paediatrics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Paediatrics, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute (TTMI), Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Medicine, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, Trinity Research in Childhood Centre (TRiCC), Dublin, Ireland
| | - Aoife Branagan
- Discipline of Paediatrics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Paediatrics, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute (TTMI), Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Medicine, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, Trinity Research in Childhood Centre (TRiCC), Dublin, Ireland
- Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gergana Semova
- Discipline of Paediatrics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Paediatrics, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute (TTMI), Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Medicine, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, Trinity Research in Childhood Centre (TRiCC), Dublin, Ireland
| | - Eleanor J. Molloy
- Discipline of Paediatrics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Paediatrics, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute (TTMI), Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Medicine, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, Trinity Research in Childhood Centre (TRiCC), Dublin, Ireland
- Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Neonatology, Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) at Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland
- Neonatology and Neurodisability, Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) at Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland
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Molloy EJ, El-Dib M, Juul SE, Benders M, Gonzalez F, Bearer C, Wu YW, Robertson NJ, Hurley T, Branagan A, Michael Cotten C, Tan S, Laptook A, Austin T, Mohammad K, Rogers E, Luyt K, Bonifacio S, Soul JS, Gunn AJ. Neuroprotective therapies in the NICU in term infants: present and future. Pediatr Res 2022:10.1038/s41390-022-02295-2. [PMID: 36195634 PMCID: PMC10070589 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-022-02295-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Outcomes of neonatal encephalopathy (NE) have improved since the widespread implementation of therapeutic hypothermia (TH) in high-resource settings. While TH for NE in term and near-term infants has proven beneficial, 30-50% of infants with moderate-to-severe NE treated with TH still suffer death or significant impairments. There is therefore a critical need to find additional pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions that improve the outcomes for these children. There are many potential candidates; however, it is unclear whether these interventions have additional benefits when used with TH. Although primary and delayed (secondary) brain injury starting in the latent phase after HI are major contributors to neurodisability, the very late evolving effects of tertiary brain injury likely require different interventions targeting neurorestoration. Clinical trials of seizure management and neuroprotection bundles are needed, in addition to current trials combining erythropoietin, stem cells, and melatonin with TH. IMPACT: The widespread use of therapeutic hypothermia (TH) in the treatment of neonatal encephalopathy (NE) has reduced the associated morbidity and mortality. However, 30-50% of infants with moderate-to-severe NE treated with TH still suffer death or significant impairments. This review details the pathophysiology of NE along with the evidence for the use of TH and other beneficial neuroprotective strategies used in term infants. We also discuss treatment strategies undergoing evaluation at present as potential adjuvant treatments to TH in NE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor J Molloy
- Paediatrics, Trinity College Dublin, Trinity Research in Childhood Centre (TRICC), Dublin, Ireland. .,Children's Hospital Ireland (CHI) at Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland. .,Neonatology, CHI at Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland. .,Neonatology, Coombe Women's and Infants University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Mohamed El-Dib
- Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Manon Benders
- Department of Neonatology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Fernando Gonzalez
- Department of Neurology, Division of Child Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Cynthia Bearer
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Yvonne W Wu
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nicola J Robertson
- Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, UK.,Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tim Hurley
- Paediatrics, Trinity College Dublin, Trinity Research in Childhood Centre (TRICC), Dublin, Ireland.,Neonatology, Coombe Women's and Infants University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Aoife Branagan
- Paediatrics, Trinity College Dublin, Trinity Research in Childhood Centre (TRICC), Dublin, Ireland.,Neonatology, Coombe Women's and Infants University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Sidhartha Tan
- Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI, USA.,Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 12267, USA.,Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA
| | - Abbot Laptook
- Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Topun Austin
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Khorshid Mohammad
- Section of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Rogers
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco Benioff Children's Hospital, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Karen Luyt
- Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,Neonatology, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK
| | - Sonia Bonifacio
- Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, 750 Welch Road, Suite 315, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Janet S Soul
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alistair J Gunn
- Departments of Physiology and Paediatrics, School of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
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Scher MS. Gene-Environment Interactions During the First Thousand Days Influence Childhood Neurological Diagnosis. Semin Pediatr Neurol 2022; 42:100970. [PMID: 35868730 DOI: 10.1016/j.spen.2022.100970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Gene-environment (G x E) interactions significantly influence neurologic outcomes. The maternal-placental-fetal (MPF) triad, neonate, or child less than 2 years may first exhibit significant brain disorders. Neuroplasticity during the first 1000 days will more likely result in life-long effects given critical periods of development. Developmental origins and life-course principles help recognize changing neurologic phenotypes across ages. Dual diagnostic approaches are discussed using representative case scenarios to highlight time-dependent G x E interactions that contribute to neurologic sequelae. Horizontal analyses identify clinically relevant phenotypic form and function at different ages. Vertical analyses integrate the approach using systems-biology from genetic through multi-organ system interactions during each developmental age to understand etiopathogenesis. The process of ontogenetic adaptation results in immediate or delayed positive and negative outcomes specific to the developmental niche, expressed either as a healthy child or one with neurologic sequelae. Maternal immune activation, ischemic placental disease, and fetal inflammatory response represent prenatal disease pathways that contribute to fetal brain injuries. These processes involve G x E interactions within the MPF triad, phenotypically expressed as fetal brain malformations or destructive injuries within the MPF triad. A neonatal minority express encephalopathy, seizures, stroke, and encephalopathy of prematurity as a continuum of trimester-specific G x E interactions. This group may later present with childhood sequelae. A healthy neonatal majority present at older ages with sequelae such as developmental disorders, epilepsy, mental health diseases, tumors, and neurodegenerative disease, often during the first 1000 days. Effective preventive, rescue, and reparative neuroprotective strategies require consideration of G x E interactions interplay over time. Addressing maternal and pediatric health disparities will maximize medical equity with positive global outcomes that reduce the burden of neurologic diseases across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark S Scher
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Fetal/Neonatal Neurology Program, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital/MacDonald Hospital for Women, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH.
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