University of California,Los Angeles.
University of Rochester Medical Center.
Dev Psychopathol. 2018 Feb;30(1):235-253. doi: 10.1017/S0954579417000591. Epub 2017 May 30.
High conflict and low warmth in families may contribute to immune cells developing a tendency to respond to threats with exaggerated inflammation that is insensitive to inhibitory signaling. We tested associations between family environments and expression of genes bearing response elements for transcription factors that regulate inflammation: nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and glucocorticoid receptor. The overall sample (47 families) completed interviews, questionnaires, and 8-week daily diary assessments of conflict and warmth, which were used to create composite family conflict and warmth scores. The diaries assessed upper respiratory infection (URI) symptoms, and URI episodes were clinically verified. Leukocyte RNA was extracted from whole blood samples provided by a subsample of 42 children (8-13 years of age) and 73 parents. In children, higher conflict and lower warmth were related to greater expression of genes bearing response elements for the proinflammatory transcription factor NF-κB, and more severe URI symptoms. In parents, higher conflict and lower warmth were also related to greater NF-κB-associated gene expression. Monocytes and dendritic cells were implicated as primary cellular sources of differential gene expression in the sample. Consistent with existing conceptual frameworks, stressful family environments were related to a proinflammatory phenotype at the level of the circulating leukocyte transcriptome.
家庭中高冲突、低温情可能会导致免疫细胞出现一种倾向，即过度炎症反应，对抑制信号不敏感，从而对威胁做出反应。我们检验了家庭环境与基因表达之间的关联，这些基因带有转录因子的反应元件，这些转录因子调节炎症：核因子 kappa B（NF-κB）和糖皮质激素受体。整个样本（47 个家庭）完成了访谈、问卷调查和 8 周的日常日记评估，以评估冲突和温情，这些评估结果被用来创建综合家庭冲突和温情评分。日记评估了上呼吸道感染（URI）症状，URI 发作经过临床验证。从 42 名 8-13 岁儿童和 73 名父母的子样本中提取了白细胞 RNA。在儿童中，更高的冲突和更低的温情与 NF-κB 促炎转录因子反应元件的基因表达增加以及更严重的 URI 症状有关。在父母中，更高的冲突和更低的温情也与 NF-κB 相关基因表达增加有关。单核细胞和树突状细胞被认为是样本中差异基因表达的主要细胞来源。与现有概念框架一致，压力大的家庭环境与循环白细胞转录组水平的促炎表型有关。
