Brain, behavior, & immunity - health最新文献

{"title":"Salivary lactoferrin levels in Down Syndrome: a case-control study","authors":"Desireé Antequera ,&nbsp;Lucía Sande ,&nbsp;Eliane García Mato ,&nbsp;Deborah Romualdi ,&nbsp;Laura Carrero ,&nbsp;Cristina Municio ,&nbsp;Pedro Diz ,&nbsp;Eva Carro","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.100999","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.100999","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Individuals with Down Syndrome (DS) have a high age-dependent risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). In addition to genetic causes, this high risk involves dysregulated immune-inflammatory system. Low lactoferrin levels, one of the main antimicrobial proteins present in saliva, has been associated with AD. Here, we evaluated whether salivary lactoferrin levels change across the life span of individuals with DS. The study included 152 participants, 72 subjects with DS and 80 euploid individuals, and were divided into those under and over 45 years of age, accordingly with the age-dependent risk of AD. Median of salivary lactoferrin were higher among DS individual, in parallel to salivary total protein, but there were no differences in the ratio of lactoferrin to total protein in saliva between groups. Only DS individuals had higher median salivary lactoferrin levels in the age group under 45 years. Meanwhile non-significant differences were detected for the ratio salivary lactoferrin levels to total salivary protein between groups under 45 years, those levels were lower in DS subjects over 45 years old compared with the age-matched control group. Furthermore, the ratio of salivary lactoferrin levels to total protein in DS was associated with cognitive decline being lower in demented groups compared with mild and moderate cognitive impairment groups. In summary, this study indicates that salivary lactoferrin was dysregulated in DS, with significant lower ratio of salivary lactoferrin levels to total salivary proteins in individuals with DS over 45 years old, a population with a gradually increasing risk of AD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 100999"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143869200","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinological and neuroanatomical basis of suicidal behavior: potential therapeutic strategies with a focus on transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)","authors":"Hesed Virto-Farfan ,&nbsp;Gustavo E. Tafet","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Suicidal behavior is a complex phenomenon influenced by psychological, environmental, and biological factors. It affects a significant portion of the global population, with more than 720,000 deaths annually and millions of individuals experiencing suicidal ideation. Among those who attempt suicide, only a fraction progresses to a fatal outcome, emphasizing the importance of understanding individual vulnerabilities. This review explores the neuroanatomical basis of suicidal behavior, focusing on key brain regions and potential pathways for neuromodulation therapies, particularly Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) plays a central role in cognitive control and emotional regulation, with extensive connections to the anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, hippocampus, and thalamus. Dysfunctions in these circuits contribute to heightened impulsivity, impaired decision-making, and emotional dysregulation in individuals with suicidal behavior. Structural and functional abnormalities in the DLPFC, coupled with altered neurotransmitter systems and inflammatory markers, have been consistently linked to suicidality. TMS, targeting the left DLPFC, has shown promise in reducing suicidal ideation by modulating frontostriatal connectivity, enhancing neuroplasticity, and improving cortical excitability. High-frequency TMS and accelerated theta-burst stimulation protocols demonstrate rapid therapeutic effects, though further research is needed to establish standardized treatment guidelines. Understanding the anatomical circuits implicated in suicidal behavior provides valuable insights for early risk assessment and the development of targeted neuromodulation interventions aimed at reducing the burden of suicide across diverse psychiatric populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 101002"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143874853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acute stress-induced alterations in short-chain fatty acids: Implications for the intestinal and blood brain barriers","authors":"Cristina Rosell-Cardona ,&nbsp;Sarah-Jane Leigh ,&nbsp;Emily Knox ,&nbsp;Emanuela Tirelli ,&nbsp;Joshua M. Lyte ,&nbsp;Michael S. Goodson ,&nbsp;Nancy Kelley-Loughnane ,&nbsp;Maria R. Aburto ,&nbsp;John F. Cryan ,&nbsp;Gerard Clarke","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.100992","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.100992","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Unravelling the features of the whole-body response to acute stress exposures is critical to understand this neglected building block of chronic stress. A single acute stress exposure rapidly modulates gut-brain axis signalling including intestinal permeability, but the mechanisms are unclear. Microbially-produced metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) are key effectors within the gut-brain axis which can affect gut and brain function. The aim of this work is to determine if acute stress regulates SCFA production in the gut and to understand the associated implications for gastrointestinal and brain barrier function. Stress reduced caecal SCFA concentrations, primarily butyrate and acetate. These SCFAs prevented LPS-induced disruption of gut and brain barrier function in a dose-dependent manner in in vitro models. This functional protection was associated with altered tight-junction abundance and morphology. These results provide a better understanding of the role SCFAs have on barriers following acute stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 100992"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144169377","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acute serum protein biomarker profile and prevalence of persistent (>6 months) neuropsychiatric symptoms in a cohort of SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive patients in Cape Town, South Africa","authors":"Inette van Niekerk ,&nbsp;Monica Panieri ,&nbsp;Talitha Müller ,&nbsp;Lovemore Mapahla ,&nbsp;Sonwabile Dzanibe ,&nbsp;Cascia Day ,&nbsp;Dan J. Stein ,&nbsp;Jonny Peter","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.100990","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.100990","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>SARS-CoV-2 is a neurotrophic and pro-inflammatory virus, with several acute and more persistent neuropsychiatric sequelae reported. There are limited data from African cohorts and few acute illness biomarkers of persistent neuropsychiatric symptoms.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>To examine the association of neuropsychiatric outcomes with clinical illness severity, systemic inflammation, cardiovascular and renin-angiotensin-system (RAS) biomarkers. Second, to determine the prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in a cohort of South African SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive patients at least six months following infection/hospitalization.</div></div><div><h3>Methodology</h3><div>SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive patients were recruited prospectively from Cape Town, South Africa, including hospitalized patients from ancestral, beta and delta-dominant COVID-19 waves (pre-vaccine rollout); and asymptomatic/mild SARS-CoV-2 positive patients. The 96-protein O-link inflammation and cardiovascular panels, RAS fingerprinting, and antibody responses were measured in serum samples collected at peak severity and recovery (&gt;3 months post-infection). Telephonic interviews were conducted at least six months post infection/hospitalization. Validated measures employed were: WHO Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ-20), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS-11) and Telephonic Montreal Cognitive Assessment (T-MoCA).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Ninety-seven participants completed telephonic interviews. The median (IQR) age was 48 (37–59) years, and 54 % were female. There were no significant associations between neuropsychiatric outcomes and illness severity, systemic inflammation, cardiovascular and/or renin-angiotensin-system (RAS) biomarkers from either peak illness or recovery samples. More than half of this SA COVID-19 cohort had one or more persistent neuropsychiatric symptoms &gt;6 months post vaccine-naïve infection. On the T-MoCA, 44 % of participants showed evidence of cognitive and/or memory impairments.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The high prevalence of persistent neuropsychiatric symptoms in this African cohort supports ongoing attention to long COVID. Acute and early serum protein biomarkers were not associated with persistent neuropsychiatric outcomes post-COVD-19.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 100990"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143892190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Obesity accelerates age-related memory deficits and alters white matter tract integrity in Ldlr-/-.Leiden mice","authors":"Florine Seidel ,&nbsp;Martine C. Morrison ,&nbsp;Ilse Arnoldussen ,&nbsp;Vivienne Verweij ,&nbsp;Joline Attema ,&nbsp;Christa de Ruiter ,&nbsp;Wim van Duyvenvoorde ,&nbsp;Jessica Snabel ,&nbsp;Bram Geenen ,&nbsp;Ayla Franco ,&nbsp;Maximilian Wiesmann ,&nbsp;Robert Kleemann ,&nbsp;Amanda J. Kiliaan","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.100991","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.100991","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Obesity in mid-adulthood has been suggested to promote brain aging and is associated with progressive cognitive impairment later in life. However, the structural and functional alterations that underlie obesity-related cognitive dysfunction are still poorly understood, partly owing to the lack of translational models replicating age- and obesity-related brain pathology.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The effect of age and high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity was investigated in adult Ldlr-/-.Leiden mice, an established translational model for obesity and its comorbidities. During mid-adulthood, from three to eight months of age, brain structure and function (hippocampal volume, cortical thickness, white matter integrity, cerebral blood flow (CBF), resting-state functional connectivity) were monitored with brain magnetic resonance imaging, and cognitive function was evaluated using cognitive tests. Brain pathology was further examined with histopathological and gene expression analyses.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Ldlr-/-.Leiden mice showed age-related decreases in cortical thickness, CBF, brain connectivity, and neurogenesis along with the development of neuroinflammation and (short-term) memory impairments. On HFD feeding, Ldlr-/-.Leiden mice exhibited similar features, but memory deficits started at a younger age than in chow-fed mice. HFD-fed mice additionally showed a rise in CBF with concomitant decline in fractional anisotropy in white matter tracts. Analyses of hippocampal gene expression further revealed an age-related suppression of processes related to metabolic and neuronal function while HFD feeding strongly activated neuroinflammatory pathways.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Ldlr-/-.Leiden mice show similar critical age-related changes in brain structure and function as observed in humans. In this mouse model, HFD feeding particularly trigger disturbances in brain blood perfusion and white matter tract integrity, which may underlie an accelerated cognitive decline in obesity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 100991"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143848349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mental distress and inflammation in bladder cancer: The nerve makes things less vague","authors":"Iveta Mikolaskova ,&nbsp;Yori Gidron ,&nbsp;Vladimira Durmanova ,&nbsp;Magda Suchankova ,&nbsp;Maria Bucova ,&nbsp;Luba Hunakova","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.100995","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.100995","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>This study aimed to explore the interaction between perceived stress, life satisfaction, heart rate variability (HRV), and immune-inflammatory markers in bladder cancer patients. We investigated how HRV moderates the relationship between psychological distress and levels of TNF-α and TGF-β cytokines. We hypothesized that high vagal nerve activity, as indicated by higher HRV, mitigates the impact of perceived stress and life dissatisfaction on inflammation.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The study included 73 patients with bladder cancer. HRV was determined from a 5-min ECG recording, focusing on the standard deviation of normal-to-normal interbeat intervals (SDNN). Psychological distress was measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and life satisfaction was evaluated with the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (LSQ). Serum concentrations of TNF-α and plasma levels of TGF-β were determined using sandwich ELISA.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We found evidence that HRV modulates the relation between perceived stress and inflammation. In patients with low HRV (SDNN &lt;20 ms), PSS was positively correlated with serum level of TNF-α and negatively with the level of TGF-β, while life satisfaction was positively correlated with TGF-β. These relationships were not significant in patients with high HRV (SDNN ≥20 ms).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our findings suggest that high vagal activity, as indicated by higher HRV, may mitigate the adverse effects of psychological distress on immune-inflammatory responses in patients with bladder cancer. Stress-related inflammation took place under conditions of low HRV, highlighting the potential role of autonomic regulation in cancer prognosis. Future research should further explore these relationships to develop interventions aimed at improving patient outcomes through stress management and enhanced vagal nerve activity to regulate inflammation in cancer.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 100995"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143874852","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Social relationships and immune aging in early midlife: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health","authors":"Farizah I. Rob ,&nbsp;Rebecca C. Stebbins ,&nbsp;Jennifer Momkus ,&nbsp;Chantel L. Martin ,&nbsp;Kathleen Mullan Harris ,&nbsp;Allison E. Aiello","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.100993","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.100993","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Aging of the immune system is characterized by changes in the T-cell compartment, including a decrease in naïve T-cells and an increase in memory T-cells. Stress exposures are known to predict accelerated immune aging in older adults. However, social relationships, which are often linked to stress mechanisms, have not been widely studied in relation to these adaptive immune biomarkers, particularly in younger populations. We examined associations between social relationships, in terms of quantity (Social Network Index, Close Contacts Index) and quality of relationships (spouse/partner, friends, and family members), and immune aging in a U.S-representative early midlife population (age 33–44) from Wave V of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 4451). DNA methylation data of venous blood samples collected during Wave V were used to compute CD4⁺ memory:naïve, CD8⁺ memory:naïve, and total CD8+:CD4+ T cell ratios; higher values indicate a more aged immune profile. Results from survey-weighted linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and education indicated higher number of close friends and frequency of contact, alongside higher quality relationships with family members were associated with decreases in CD4⁺ memory:naive ratios. The results for CD8⁺ memory:naïve and CD8+:CD4+ ratios were mostly non-significant. Our findings suggest that higher quantity and quality of social relationships may help protect against immune aging, particularly in the CD4⁺ T cell compartment, prior to midlife. This underscores the importance of interventions that enhance social relationships throughout life to promote healthy longevity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 100993"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143843281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Depressive symptoms partially mediate the relationship between psychosocial factors and epigenetic age acceleration in a multi-racial/ethnic sample of older adults","authors":"Lauren A. Opsasnick ,&nbsp;Wei Zhao ,&nbsp;Lauren L. Schmitz ,&nbsp;Scott M. Ratliff ,&nbsp;Jessica D. Faul ,&nbsp;Xiang Zhou ,&nbsp;Belinda L. Needham ,&nbsp;Jennifer A. Smith","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.100994","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.100994","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Psychosocial factors, including cumulative psychosocial stress and loneliness, have been linked to epigenetic aging in older adults. Further, depressive symptoms have established relationships with both psychosocial factors and epigenetic aging. However, it is not known whether depressive symptoms mediate the association between psychosocial factors and epigenetic aging.</div><div>We conducted linear regression models to examine associations between psychosocial stress, loneliness, and depressive symptoms and five epigenetic age acceleration (AA) measures estimated by DNA methylation in a multi-racial/ethnic sample of 2681 older adults from the Health and Retirement Study (mean age: 70.4 years). For all identified associations, we tested for effect modification by sex and educational attainment and performed mediation analysis to characterize the role of depressive symptoms on these associations.</div><div>Psychosocial stress, loneliness, and depressive symptoms were each associated with at least one measure of epigenetic AA (FDR q &lt; 0.05). Further, we observed interactions between loneliness, psychosocial stress, and sex on DunedinPACE, as well as loneliness and educational attainment on GrimAA, PhenoAA, and DunedinPACE, with females and individuals without a college degree appearing more sensitive to the psychosocial effects on epigenetic aging. Depressive symptoms mediated between 24 % and 35 % of the relationships between psychosocial stress and HannumAA, GrimAA, and DunedinPACE, as well as 40 % and 37 % of the relationships between loneliness and both GrimAA and DunedinPACE, respectively.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>from this study may help elucidate the relationship between psychosocial factors and epigenetic aging, which is critical in understanding the biological mechanisms through which psychosocial factors may contribute to age-related disease.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 100994"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143834919","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cultural mismatch and accelerated epigenetic age during the transition to college","authors":"Yolanda Vasquez-Salgado ,&nbsp;Gabrielle Halim ,&nbsp;Angel E. Morales ,&nbsp;Katelan Galvan ,&nbsp;Teresa Seeman ,&nbsp;Steve Cole","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.100989","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.100989","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Previous literature has highlighted <em>home-school cultural value mismatch</em> – a cultural mismatch between interdependent family obligations and independent academic obligations, as a psychosocial stressor among first-generation college students from historically marginalized backgrounds. However, no studies to date have examined its association with an objective biomarker of health. Given accumulating evidence linking higher psychosocial stress to accelerated <em>epigenetic age</em> – a measure of one's biological age based on DNA methylation levels, we hypothesized that higher levels of cultural mismatch would be associated with accelerated epigenetic age. In this Transition to College Study, historically marginalized students (<em>N</em> = 64; <em>M</em>_age = 18.0; <em>SD</em> = 0.4; 82.8 % Latinx; 87.5 % first-generation college) completed an online survey and provided a salivary sample during their first semester at a public four-year university. GrimAge, FitAge and DunedinPACE, second and third-generation epigenetic aging measures, were used for analysis. Hierarchical linear regressions, controlling for chronological age, ethnicity, biological sex, body-mass-index, smoking and alcohol use, and parental socioeconomic status, were used to test our hypothesis. Results indicated that higher levels of mismatch between family and academic obligations were associated with accelerated epigenetic age as measured by GrimAge and FitAge, but not DunedinPACE. Our findings highlight a novel association between this mismatch and biomarkers known to predict mortality and future disease risk. Implications for research and interventions in higher education are discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 100989"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144147099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"HIV and Low Omega-3 Levels May Heighten Hippocampal Volume Differences Between Men and Women With Substance Use","authors":"Hong Lai ,&nbsp;Jiachen Zhuo ,&nbsp;Glenn Treisman ,&nbsp;Gary Gerstenblith ,&nbsp;David D. Celentano ,&nbsp;Yihong Yang ,&nbsp;Betty Jo Salmeron ,&nbsp;Hong Gu ,&nbsp;Thorsten M. Leucker ,&nbsp;Xiao Liang ,&nbsp;Raul N. Mandler ,&nbsp;Jag Khalsa ,&nbsp;Óscar Peña-Nogales ,&nbsp;Shaoguang Chen ,&nbsp;Shenghan Lai ,&nbsp;Elana Rosenthal ,&nbsp;Karl Goodkin ,&nbsp;Vincent A. Magnotta","doi":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.100988","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbih.2025.100988","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Sex differences in hippocampal volumes are well-documented, but their interaction with HIV status and omega-3 fatty acids—particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)—remains unclear, especially in underserved populations. This study examines how HIV and omega-3 fatty acids influence sex differences in hippocampal volume and explores whether cognitive performance related to episodic memory modifies the association of omega-3 levels with hippocampal volume, considering both HIV status and sex.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We enrolled 166 participants aged over 45 years from a Baltimore, Maryland cohort. Brain MRIs were performed using a 3.0-T Siemens scanner, and volumetric segmentation was conducted with FreeSurfer (version 6.0), adjusting for intracranial volume (ICV).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Our study found that: (1) Among HIV-negative participants, females had significantly lower hippocampal volumes than males in 1 of 26 regions, whereas HIV-positive females had lower volumes in 13 of 26 regions (p &lt; 0.006 for HIV-negative vs. HIV-positive females), (2) In HIV-positive individuals with EPA levels ≤0.40 %, females exhibited lower volumes in 11 of 26 regions, compared to no differences in those with EPA levels &gt;0.40 % (p = 0.0003 for ≤0.40 % vs. &gt;0.40 %), (3) Across all participants, lower EPA and DHA levels were associated with greater sex differences in hippocampal volumes, which diminished or disappeared at higher EPA and DHA levels (p &lt; 0.00001 for EPA ≤0.40 % vs. &gt;0.40 %; p = 0.004 for DHA ≤2.0 % vs. &gt;2.0 %), and (4) Among Adults with lower episodic memory, higher log-scaled EPA levels were independently associated with greater hippocampal volume.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>HIV may amplify sex differences in hippocampal volumes, disproportionately affecting females. Higher EPA and DHA levels may mitigate these effects, suggesting a protective role against hippocampal atrophy. Further studies are warranted to confirm these findings and explore whether the benefits extend to males with HIV or individuals without HIV.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72454,"journal":{"name":"Brain, behavior, & immunity - health","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 100988"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143799193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}