Preliminary associations between childhood neglect, MIF, and cortisol: potential pathways to long-term disease risk.
The study examined Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis and inflammatory signaling in 206 youth with histories of prenatal drug exposure and self-reported histories of maltreatment. Youth with histories of severe neglect showed elevated levels of cortisol, the end product of the HPA axis, in comparison to youth with lower or minimal levels of neglect. Histories of severe neglect also were associated with increased levels of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF), a cytokine known to be intricately involved in HPA axis regulation. Salivary MIF levels also were positively associated with youth age and prenatal drug exposure. These MIF and cortisol alterations may signal pathophysiological disruptions in the neuro-endocrine and immune systems, which may lead to trajectories of increased disease risk among vulnerable youth. Our findings also provide preliminary support for the validity and reliability of a noninvasive salivary assessment of MIF.
Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
Johanna
J
Bick
Victoria
V
Nguyen
Lin
L
Leng
Marta
M
Piecychna
Michael J
MJ
Crowley
Richard
R
Bucala
Linda C
LC
Mayes
Elena L
EL
Grigorenko
D000293:Adolescent; D002649:Child Abuse; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases; C515598:MIF protein, human; D006854:Hydrocortisone
HPA axis; adolescent; immune system; parental care; stress