Patterns of peripheral cytokine expression during pregnancy in two cohorts and associations with inflammatory markers in cord blood.

PROBLEM: Maternal inflammation undergoes adaptations during pregnancy, and excessive inflammation has been associated with adverse outcomes. One mechanism may be maternal inflammation transmission to the fetal compartment. Links between maternal pregnancy inflammation and fetal inflammation are poorly characterized. METHOD: Principal components analysis was used to extract underlying inflammation components across cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-13, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α) in two pregnancy cohorts (SPAH N=87, MOMS N=539) assessed during the second and third trimesters. Links between maternal inflammation over pregnancy and fetal (cord blood) inflammation were assessed. RESULTS: Substantial cytokine rank-order stability was observed in both cohorts, ß's range .47-.96, P's <.001. Two consistent inflammatory components were extracted: a pro-inflammatory (IL-10, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, IFN-γ) component and anti-inflammatory (IL-13) component. Higher maternal pro-inflammatory and lower anti-inflammatory indices during pregnancy were associated with higher cord blood inflammation, P's>.04. CONCLUSION: Maternal inflammation indices over pregnancy were associated with inflammation in cord blood at birth. Results have implications for understanding pregnancy inflammatory processes and how maternal inflammation may be transmitted to fetal circulation.

Depressed affect is associated with poorer cardiovascular recovery in young women following a mental stressor.

BACKGROUND: Depressed mood has been prospectively associated with hypertension. Altered ANS function, as reflected in poor CV recovery, may be one mechanism that underlies this relationship. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between depressed mood and cardiovascular recovery following a standard mental stress task in healthy young women. METHODS: Depressed mood was assessed in 63 young women. Cardiovascular data were collected during a 5-min baseline period, 5-min public speaking stress task, and 15-min recovery period. RESULTS: Depressed mood accounted for 9.6% of the variation in HR reactivity (F(1,58) = 6.513, p = 0.013) and 4.5% of DBP recovery (F(1,58) = 4.538, p = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS: Greater depressed mood was associated with greater HR reactivity and poorer DBP recovery. This is the first study to directly investigate associations between depressed mood and CV recovery following mental stress.