Dataset Information

Stress questionnaires and stress biomarkers during pregnancy.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Both self-reported indicators of stress and hormones such as cortisol and corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) have been examined in relation to preterm birth. Although these hormones have been interpreted as biomarkers of stress, it is unclear whether psychosocial measures are empirically associated with biomarkers of stress in pregnant women.

Methods

We analyzed data from 1,587 North Carolina pregnant women enrolled in the Pregnancy, Infection,and Nutrition study during 2000-2004 who provided at least one saliva sample for cortisol measurement or blood samples for CRH at 14-19 and 24-29 weeks' gestation. Cortisol measures were limited to those taken between 8 and 10 a.m. Perceived stress, state-trait anxiety, coping style, life events, social support, and pregnancy-specific anxiety were measured by questionnaires and interviews. Spearman correlations and multiple regressions were used to describe the relationship among the measures of stress.

Results

No correlations larger than r = 0.15 were seen between reported psychosocial measures and cortisol or CRH. Women with demographic characteristics associated with poor pregnancy outcomes (unmarried, African-American, young, low pre-pregnancy body mass index) reported higher levels of stress but did not consistently have higher levels of stress hormones. Pre-eclampsia was associated with higher CRH, but not with higher cortisol.

Conclusions

The relationship between measurements of reported stress and biomarkers is not straightforward in large epidemiological studies of pregnancy.

SUBMITTER: Harville EW

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2825685 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Stress questionnaires and stress biomarkers during pregnancy.

Harville Emily W EW Savitz David A DA Dole Nancy N Herring Amy H AH Thorp John M JM

Journal of women's health (2002) 20090901 9

<h4>Objective</h4>Both self-reported indicators of stress and hormones such as cortisol and corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) have been examined in relation to preterm birth. Although these hormones have been interpreted as biomarkers of stress, it is unclear whether psychosocial measures are empirically associated with biomarkers of stress in pregnant women.<h4>Methods</h4>We analyzed data from 1,587 North Carolina pregnant women enrolled in the Pregnancy, Infection,and Nutrition study dur ...[more]

PMID: 19757520

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Project description:BackgroundOxidative stress from excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a hypothesized contributor to preterm birth. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure is reported to generate ROS in laboratory settings, and is linked to adverse birth outcomes globally. However, to our knowledge, the relationship between PFAS and oxidative stress has not been examined in the context of human pregnancy.ObjectiveTo investigate the associations between prenatal PFAS exposure and oxidative stress biomarkers among pregnant people.MethodsOur analytic sample included 428 participants enrolled in the Illinois Kids Development Study and Chemicals In Our Bodies prospective birth cohorts between 2014 and 2019. Twelve PFAS were measured in second trimester serum. We focused on seven PFAS that were detected in >65 % of participants. Urinary levels of 8-isoprostane-prostaglandin-F2α, prostaglandin-F2α, 2,3-dinor-8-iso-PGF2α, and 2,3-dinor-5,6-dihydro-8-iso-PGF2α were measured in the second and third trimesters as biomarkers of oxidative stress. We fit linear mixed-effects models to estimate individual associations between PFAS and oxidative stress biomarkers. We used quantile g-computation and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to assess associations between the PFAS mixture and averaged oxidative stress biomarkers.ResultsLinear mixed-effects models showed that an interquartile range increase in perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) was associated with an increase in 8-isoprostane-prostaglandin-F2α (β = 0.10, 95 % confidence interval = 0, 0.20). In both quantile g-computation and BKMR, and across all oxidative stress biomarkers, PFOS contributed the most to the overall mixture effect. The six remaining PFAS were not significantly associated with changes in oxidative stress biomarkers.ConclusionsOur study is the first to investigate the relationship between PFAS exposure and biomarkers of oxidative stress during human pregnancy. We found that PFOS was associated with elevated levels of oxidative stress, which is consistent with prior work in animal models and cell lines. Future research is needed to understand how prenatal PFAS exposure and maternal oxidative stress may affect fetal development.

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Project description:Low fertility remains a leading cause of poor productivity in dairy cattle. In this context, there is significant interest in developing novel tools for accurate early diagnosis of pregnancy. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short RNA molecules which are critically involved in regulating gene expression during both health and disease. MiRNAs have been shown to regulate ovarian function, uterine receptivity, embryonic development and placental function. Circulating miRNAs can provide useful biomarkers of tissue function and disease; importantly, differential miRNA profiles have been linked to pregnancy and preeclampsia in humans. This study sought to establish the potential of circulating miRNAs as biomarkers of early pregnancy in cattle. We applied Illumina small-RNA sequencing to profile miRNAs in plasma samples collected from eight non-pregnant heifers on Days 0, 8 and 16 of the oestrous cycle and 11 heifers on Days 16 and 24 of pregnancy. We sequenced a total of 46 samples and generated 9.2 million miRNA reads per sample. There were no differences in miRNA read abundance between any of the pregnant and non-pregnant time-points (FDR > 0.1). As a complementary approach, we analysed sample pools (3-4 samples/pool) corresponding to Days 0, 8 and 16 of the oestrous cycle and Day 24 of pregnancy (n = 3 pools/group) using Qiagen PCR arrays. A total of 16 miRNAs were differentially expressed (FDR < 0.1) in plasma between pregnant and non-pregnant animals. RT-qPCR validation using the same plasma samples confirmed that miR-26a was differentially upregulated on Day 16 pregnant relative to non-pregnant heifers (1.7-fold; P = 0.043), whereas miR-1249 tended to be upregulated in Day 16 pregnant heifers (1.6-fold; P = 0.081). Further validation in an independent group of heifers confirmed an increase in plasma miR-26a levels during early pregnancy, which was significant only on Day 24 (2.0-fold; P = 0.027). Through genome-wide analyses we have successfully profiled plasma miRNA populations associated with early pregnancy in cattle. We have identified miR-26a as a potential circulating biomarker of early pregnancy.

Project description:BackgroundLower socioeconomic status (SES) and elevated psychosocial stress are known contributors to adverse pregnancy outcomes; however, biological mechanisms linking these factors to adverse pregnancy outcomes are not well-characterized. Oxidative stress may be an important, yet understudied mechanistic pathway. We used a pooled study design to examine biological, behavioral, and social factors as predictors of prenatal oxidative stress biomarkers.MethodsLeveraging four pregnancy cohorts from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program spanning multiple geographic regions across the United States (U.S.) (N = 2082), we measured biomarkers of oxidative stress in urine samples at up to three time points during pregnancy, including 8-isoprostane-prostaglandin F2α (8-isoPGF2α), its major metabolite, 2,3-dinor-5,6-dihydro-15-F2t-isoprostane, and prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α). Maternal age, pre-pregnancy body mass index, marital/partnered status, parity, and smoking status were included as biological and behavioral factors while race/ethnicity, maternal education, and stressful life events were considered social factors. We examined associations between each individual biological, behavioral, and social factor with oxidative stress biomarkers using multivariable-adjusted linear mixed models.ResultsNumerous biological, behavioral, and social factors were associated with elevated levels of 8-isoPGF2α, its major metabolite, and PGF2α. Pregnant people who were current smokers relative to non-smokers or had less than a high school education relative to a college degree had 11.04% (95% confidence interval [CI] = -1.97%, 25.77%) and 9.13% (95% CI = -1.02%, 20.32%) higher levels of 8-isoPGF2α, respectively.ConclusionsOxidative stress biomarkers are elevated among pregnant people with higher socioeconomic disadvantage and may represent one pathway linking biological, behavioral, and social factors to adverse pregnancy and child health outcomes, which should be explored in future work.

Dataset Information

Stress questionnaires and stress biomarkers during pregnancy.

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Stress questionnaires and stress biomarkers during pregnancy.

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