Symptoms of Prenatal Depression Associated with Shorter Telomeres in Female Placenta.

Isabel Garcia-Martin,Duncan M Baird,Rhiannon E Jones,Rosalind M John,Julia W Grimstead,Richard J A Penketh,Samantha M Garay

doi:10.3390/ijms22147458

Isabel Garcia-Martin, Duncan M Baird + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22147458

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Abstract

Background. Depression is a common mood disorder during pregnancy impacting one in every seven women. Children exposed to prenatal depression are more likely to be born at a low birth weight and develop chronic diseases later in life. A proposed hypothesis for this relationship between early exposure to adversity and poor outcomes is accelerated aging. Telomere length has been used as a biomarker of cellular aging. We used high-resolution telomere length analysis to examine the relationship between placental telomere length distributions and maternal mood symptoms in pregnancy. Methods. This study utilised samples from the longitudinal Grown in Wales (GiW) study. Women participating in this study were recruited at their presurgical appointment prior to a term elective caesarean section (ELCS). Women completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and trait subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Telomere length distributions were generated using single telomere length analysis (STELA) in 109 term placenta (37–42 weeks). Multiple linear regression was performed to examine the relationship between maternally reported symptoms of depression and anxiety at term and mean placental telomere length. Results: Prenatal depression symptoms were significantly negatively associated with XpYp telomere length in female placenta (B = −0.098, p = 0.026, 95% CI −0.184, −0.012). There was no association between maternal depression symptoms and telomere length in male placenta (B = 0.022, p = 0.586, 95% CI −0.059, 0.103). There was no association with anxiety symptoms and telomere length for either sex. Conclusion: Maternal prenatal depression is associated with sex-specific differences in term placental telomeres. Telomere shortening in female placenta may indicate accelerated placental aging.

Highlights

During pregnancy, women are highly vulnerable to major depression [1] and 10–15%experience at least one major depressive episode associated with the increased risk of morbidity to both mother and child [2]
Placental telomere length distributions were analysed for term placental samples obtained from 109 Grown in
Wales participants delivering by elective caesarean section (ELCS) excluding the pregnancy complications of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia

Summary

Introduction

Experience at least one major depressive episode associated with the increased risk of morbidity to both mother and child [2]. Prenatal depression is co-morbid with anxiety, which can impact up to 25% of pregnancies, and both mood disorders are strongly linked to postpartum depression, all of which have a negative effect on child development in the short and longer term [3,4]. The biological mechanisms linking mood symptoms to adverse outcomes in children are unknown. Depression is a common mood disorder during pregnancy impacting one in every seven women. A proposed hypothesis for this relationship between early exposure to adversity and poor outcomes is accelerated aging. We used high-resolution telomere length analysis to examine the relationship between placental telomere length distributions and maternal mood symptoms in pregnancy. This study utilised samples from the longitudinal Grown in Wales (GiW)

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Discussion

Conclusion