integration of biomarkers to advance family nursing research across the lifespan elizabeth corwin,...
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Integration of Biomarkers to Advance Family
Nursing Research Across the Lifespan
Elizabeth Corwin, PhD, RN, FAAN, Emory University
School of Nursing
Funding Acknowledgement • Psychoneuroimmune Contributions to Postpartum Depression
(R01NR011278, National Institute of Nursing Research)
• Biobehavioral Determinants of the Microbiome and Preterm Birth in Black Women (R01NR014800, National Institute of Nursing
Research)
I have no conflicts of interest to report
Family Caregiving• >30 million individuals in U.S. provide care annually for
chronically ill, disabled or aged family member • Care is often:• longitudinal • with worsening trajectories for loved ones
• physically demanding• isolating, lonely, & sad• frightening (financially & physically)
• Example: • Caregivers of family members with dementia
provide an average of 16.6 hours/week–for years.
(National Alliance for Caregiving, in collaboration with AARP, 2009)(Schultz and Martire, 2004)
Health Outcomes of Caregivers of Spouses with Alzheimer’s Disease• Multiple adverse outcomes compared to non-
caregivers of same age
• 63% higher mortality rate • Increased risk of infectious disease• Increased risk of chronic illness• Cardiovascular disease (hypertension, MI)• Diabetes• Depression
• This limits their ability to provide care
• (Kiecolt-Glaser, et al., 2008; Gouin, et al., 2008)
Family Caregiving • Caregiving crosses generations
• As does its impact – on caregiver and recipient
Adverse Health Outcomes of FamilyCaregivers Across the Lifespan
• Spouses of patients with cancer (Li &Like, 2013; Haley, et al., 2003; Jassem, Haley, et al., 2015)
• Parents of autistic children (Lovell et al., 2012; 2015)
• Parents of children with TBI (Wharewere-Mika, et al., 2015)
• Mothers of children and adolescents with pediatric cancer (Miller et al., 2008; Rohleder, et al, 2009; Palma et al., 2015)
• Mothers of children who die(Jiong et al., 2003; Espinosa,Evans, 2013)
Common Denominator: Chronic Stress
Normally… with acute stress
Pro-inflammatory cytokines Cortisol
* Limits exaggerated inflammation
* Limits exaggerated production of cortisol
However…With exposure to chronic stress
Cells may develop glucocorticoid resistance (GR)• Cortisol cannot limit cytokine production
• Leads to dysregulation of inflammatory response• Cortisol partially escapes negative feedback
• Leads to increased cortisol BOTH OF WHICH ADVERSELY IMPACT MOOD and HEALTH
Pro-inflammatory cytokines cortisol
WHY INCLUDE BIOMARKERS?
How do they advance Family Nursing Research?
Biomarkers• What they are:• Measurable indicators of health, a state, or a disease• Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)• Prostate specific antigen (PSA)• Cholesterol• HbgA1c• Atrial or brain natiuretic peptide (ANP/BNP)• C-reactive protein (CRP)• Diurnal salivary cortisol• Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines• Reactive oxygen species• Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)• Telomeres & telomerase
What about the Care Recipient?
•What are the health outcomes?
Telomere Length: A Marker of Cellular Aging – An Indicator of
Chronic StressReduced telomere length in mothers with
chronically ill children (Epel, et al., Proceedings of the Natl Acad Sci, 2004)
Reduced telomere length in long-term caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients (Gamjanovic, et al., J of Immunology, 2007)
Reduced telomere length in children of depressed mothers (Gotlib, et al., Molecular Psychiatry, 2015)
Shorter telomere length in newborns related to maternal prenatal depression (Entringer, et al., Am J Obstet Gynecol, 2013)
What the Inclusion of Biomarkers Adds To Family Nursing Research
• The potential to uncover the underlying biological mechanism responsible for a particular symptom or an adverse health outcome
• The potential for precision nursing interventions
• If you know the mechanism, you can target it
• If you target it, you can measure your success
•Over time
•In real time
An Exemplar:Spontaneous Preterm Birth
• Most common type of preterm birth• Associated with significant adverse outcomes for
families• Risk factors include • Previous preterm birth• Infection/Inflammation• Chronic Stress & elevated HPA axis hormones
• Mechanisms remain unclear • Interventions to predict or prevent PTB of limited
success
Step 1Uncover the Mechanism
Minority and low-income pregnant women experience > risk of PTB than Caucasian and/or higher income women
Minority and low-income pregnantwomen report increased chronic stress compared to Caucasian andhigher income women (Geronimous, 2008)
A Biological Fingerprint of Disadvantage
• In our longitudinal study of 201 healthy, pregnant women, followed from the 3rd trimester through 6-months postpartum• We identified PNI dysregulation and loss of the
bidirectional cytokine-cortisol feedback in pregnant low income and minority women compared to higher income Caucasian women.
(Corwin, et al., Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2013)
• PNI dysregulation and loss of feedback continued through 6-months postpartum
Average daily cortisol concentration (mean+SE) (AUC) in Caucasian higher income women compared to
minority and low income pregnant and postpartum women
Pro-Inflammatory cytokine levels in Caucasian/higher income women vs
minority/low income pregnant and postpartum women
All slopes significant for Caucasian/higher income pregnant women (blue) but not lower income/minority pregnant women(red) (*p<0.05, **p<.001, ***p<.0001)
Cytokine-glucocorticoid feedback in Caucasian/higher income women vs minority/low income pregnant
women
Month 3 postpartum cytokine-glucorticoid feedback in Caucasian/higher income women (blue) vs minority/low
income (green) postpartum women
All slopes significant for Caucasian/higher income pregnant women (blue) but not lower income/minority pregnant women (green)
AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILY CARETAKERS
OUR CURRENT STUDY: Focusing on the Population Most at Risk
Effects of Chronic Stress on the Microbiome and PTB in Black Women
(R01NR014800)
• Gut microbiome mirrors our stress
• Elevated cortisol “leaky gut”
• increases inflammation
• Oral microbiome
• A source blood borne infection or systemic inflammation
• Vaginal microbiomeA route to PTB
Step 2: Precision - Tailor the Intervention
• Go back to the mechanismChronic stress Inflammation and cortisol
• Design an intervention to Chronic Stressor
• Design an intervention to change a women’s response to chronic stress
MindfulnessYogaExerciseSingingSpirituality
Step 3: Test the Intervention
• Go back to the mechanism - Chronic stress inflammation and increased cortisol
• Target the patient - Does this person show the phenotype predictive of PNI dysregulation?• If so…
• Test the intervention- Did it work?• Did it return normal cytokine-glucocorticoid
feedback?• Did it reduce inflammation? Cortisol?• Did it return the microbiome to more protective
state?
Family CaregivingIntegrating biomarkers can help predict and guide
precision family nursing research & care
across generations
QUESTIONS?
Thank You