Department of Psychiatry, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
Brain Behav Immun. 2012 Nov;26(8):1280-7. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2012.08.006. Epub 2012 Aug 25.
Adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth, are markedly higher among African-Americans versus Whites. Stress-induced immune dysregulation may contribute to these effects. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation provides a robust model for examining cellular immune competence. This study examined associations of EBV virus capsid antigen immunoglobulin G (VCA IgG) with gestational stage, race, and racial discrimination in women during pregnancy and postpartum.
Fifty-six women (38 African-American, 18 White) were included. African-Americans and Whites did not differ in age, education, income, parity, or body mass index (ps ≥ .51). During the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester and ~5 weeks postpartum, women completed measures of racial discrimination, perceived stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms and health behaviors. EBV VCA IgG antibody titers were measured via ELISA in serum collected at each visit.
In the overall sample, EBV VCA IgG antibody titers were lower in the 3rd versus 1st trimester (p=.002). At every timepoint (1st, 2nd, 3rd trimester and postpartum), African-American women exhibited higher serum EBV VCA IgG antibody titers than Whites (ps<.001). This effect was most pronounced among African-Americans reporting greater racial discrimination [p=.03 (1st), .04 (2nd), .12 (3rd), .06 (postpartum)]. Associations of race and racial discrimination with EBV VCA IgG antibody titers were not accounted for by other measures of stress or health behaviors.
Compared to Whites, African-American women showed higher EBV VCA IgG antibody titers, indicative of impaired cellular immune competence, across pregnancy and postpartum. This effect was particularly pronounced among African-American women reporting greater racial discrimination, supporting a role for chronic stress in this association. In women overall, EBV antibody titers declined during late as compared to early pregnancy. This may be due to pregnancy-related changes in cell-mediated immune function, humoral immune function, and/or antibody transfer to the fetus in late gestation. As a possible marker of stress-induced immune dysregulation during pregnancy, the role of EBV reactivation in racial disparities in perinatal health warrants further attention.
与白人相比，非裔美国人的不良妊娠结局（包括早产）明显更高。应激诱导的免疫失调可能导致这些影响。 Epstein-Barr 病毒（EBV）再激活为研究细胞免疫能力提供了一个强大的模型。本研究检查了 EBV 衣壳抗原免疫球蛋白 G（VCA IgG）与妊娠和产后女性的妊娠阶段、种族和种族歧视之间的关联。
纳入 56 名女性（38 名非裔美国人，18 名白人）。非裔美国人和白人在年龄、教育程度、收入、产次和体重指数方面没有差异（p≥.51）。在第 1、2 和 3 孕期和产后约 5 周时，女性完成了种族歧视、感知压力、焦虑、抑郁症状和健康行为的测量。通过在每次就诊时收集的血清，通过 ELISA 测量 EBV VCA IgG 抗体滴度。
在整个样本中，与第 1 孕期相比，第 3 孕期 EBV VCA IgG 抗体滴度较低（p=.002）。在每个时间点（第 1、2、3 孕期和产后），非裔美国女性的血清 EBV VCA IgG 抗体滴度均高于白人（p<.001）。在报告种族歧视程度较高的非裔美国人中，这种影响最为明显[第 1 时（p=.03）、第 2 时（p=.04）、第 3 时（p=.12）、第 6 时（产后）]。种族和种族歧视与 EBV VCA IgG 抗体滴度之间的关联不受其他压力或健康行为测量的影响。
与白人相比，非裔美国女性在整个妊娠和产后期间表现出更高的 EBV VCA IgG 抗体滴度，表明细胞免疫能力受损。在报告种族歧视程度较高的非裔美国女性中，这种影响更为明显，支持慢性应激在这种关联中的作用。在女性中，与早期妊娠相比，晚期妊娠的 EBV 抗体滴度下降。这可能是由于妊娠相关的细胞介导免疫功能、体液免疫功能和/或抗体向胎儿转移的变化。作为妊娠期间应激诱导免疫失调的可能标志物，EBV 再激活在围产期健康的种族差异中的作用值得进一步关注。
