Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Bidirectional Psychoneuroimmune Interactions In The Early Postpartum Period Influence Risk Of Postpartum Depression, Elizabeth J. Corwin, Kathleen Pajer, Sudeshna Paul, Nancy Lowe, Mary Weber, Donna O. Mccarthy

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

More than 500,000 U.S. women develop postpartum depression (PPD) annually. Although psychosocial risks are known, the underlying biology remains unclear. Dysregulation of the immune inflammatory response and the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis are associated with depression in other populations. While significant research on the contribution of these systems to the development of PPD has been conducted, results have been inconclusive. This is partly because few studies have focused on whether disruption in the bidirectional and dynamic interaction between the inflammatory response and the HPA axis together influence PPD. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that disruption in the inflammatory-HPA axis …

Effect Of Perceived Stress On Cytokine Production In Healthy College Students, Vorachai Sribanditmongkol, Jeremy L. Neal, Laura A. Szalacha, Donna O. Mccarthy

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Chronic psychological stress impairs antibody synthesis following influenza vaccination. Chronic stress also increases circulating levels of proinflammatory cytokines and glucocorticoids in elders and caregivers, which can impair antibody synthesis. The purpose of this study was to determine whether psychological stress increases ex vivo cytokine production or decreases glucocorticoid sensitivity (GCS) of peripheral blood leukocytes from healthy college students. A convenience sample of Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) students completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Whole blood was incubated in the presence of influenza vaccine and dexamethasone to evaluate production of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1-beta (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interferon-gamma …

Tumor Growth Increases Neuroinflammation, Fatigue And Depressive-Like Behavior Prior To Alterations In Muscle Function, Diana M. Norden, Sabahattin Bicer, Yvonne Clark, Runfeng Jing, Christopher J. Henry, Loren E. Wold, Peter J. Reiser, Jonathan P. Godbout, Donna O. Mccarthy

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Cancer patients frequently suffer from fatigue, a complex syndrome associated with loss of muscle mass, weakness, and depressed mood. Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) can be present at the time of diagnosis, during treatment, and persists for years after treatment. CRF negatively influences quality of life, limits functional independence, and is associated with decreased survival in patients with incurable disease. Currently there are no effective treatments to reduce CRF. The aim of this study was to use a mouse model of tumor growth and discriminate between two main components of fatigue: loss of muscle mass/function and altered mood/motivation. Here we show that …

Differences In Inflammatory Markers Between Nulliparous Women Admitted To Hospitals In Preactive Vs Active Labor, Jeremy L. Neal, Jane M. Lamp, Nancy Lowe, Shannon L. Gillespie, Loraine T. Sinnott, Donna O. Mccarthy

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

To determine whether labor-associated inflammatory markers differ between low-risk, nulliparous women in preactive vs active labor at hospital admission and over time.

Study Design

Prospective comparative study of low-risk, nulliparous women with spontaneous labor onset at term (n = 118) sampled from 2 large Midwestern hospitals. Circulating concentrations of inflammatory markers were measured at admission and again 2 and 4 hours later: namely, neutrophil, and monocyte counts; and serum inflammatory cytokines (interleukin -1β, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-10) and chemokines (interleukin-8). Biomarker concentrations and their patterns of change over time were compared between preactive (n = 63) and active …