title: Targeted rejection predicts decreased anti-inflammatory gene expression and increased symptom severity in youth with asthma.
abstract: Although responses to different stressors are sometimes assumed to be similar, recent research has demonstrated that certain types of stress, such as targeted rejection, are particularly potent. To test such associations in a chronic-disease model, we examined how noninterpersonal, interpersonal, and targeted-rejection major life events predicted changes in gene expression and symptom severity in 121 youths with asthma who were assessed every 6 months for 2 years. Youths who had recently experienced targeted rejection had lower messenger RNA expression for signaling molecules that control airway inflammation and obstruction (specifically, the glucocorticoid receptor and β2-adrenergic receptor) than youths who had not experienced targeted rejection. These associations were specific to targeted rejection and stronger for youths higher in subjective social status. Higher-status youths exposed to targeted rejection (but not other types of stress) also reported more asthma symptoms. These data demonstrate stressor-specific associations with molecular-signaling pathways and the severity of asthma, and they suggest that threats to the social self may be particularly deleterious.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Northwestern University murphym@u.northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Michael L M
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology and Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles.
authors.forename: George M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Slavich
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Northwestern University Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University.
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Northwestern University Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University.
authors.forename: Gregory E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012059:Rejection, Psychology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid
keywords: asthma; gene expression; health; social rejection; social status