ArticlePsychoneuroendocrinology2025
Associations between prenatal inflammation and dimensions of depressive symptoms across the perinatal period.
Article in Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Prenatal Origins of Stress Regulation: Maternal Psychological Distress and Inflammation During Pregnancy Prospectively Predict Infant Behavioral Reactivity and Regulation.Developmental psychobiology · 2026Article
- The relationship between maternal adiposity during pregnancy and toddler ADHD symptoms is mediated by gestational inflammation.Brain, behavior, and immunity · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveThe perinatal period is characterized by physiological changes, including fluctuations in inflammation, and an increased risk for depression. However, the timing and cytokine-specific relations to depressive symptoms during and after pregnancy are unclear. In this study, we examined the relationships between four cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α) and depression at multiple time points throughout the perinatal period and investigated the role of different dimensions of depressive symptoms in these associations.
methodWe used longitudinal data from 314 mothers (M
resultsCytokine levels were not associated with total depression scores at any time point. IL-6 levels and anhedonia symptoms were positively associated in the third trimester (β = 0.13, p = 0.01, q = 0.04). More positive IL-6 and TNF-α slopes across pregnancy, indicating increasing levels of TNF-α over time, were associated with greater average prenatal anhedonia symptoms (β = 0.91, p = 0.01, q = 0.04 and β = 0.92, p = 0.01, q = 0.03, respectively). Increases in IL-6 from the second to third trimester predicted less postnatal anxiety (β = -0.15, p = 0.01, q = 0.02), whereas increases in TNF-α from the second to third trimester predicted greater third-trimester anxiety and sad mood (β = 0.08, p = 0.03, q = 0.05, β = 0.09, p = 0.01, q = 0.03). None of the depressive symptoms were associated with IL-8 or IL-10 at any time point (ps = 0.05-0.96).
conclusionsFindings provide additional evidence for the role of IL-6 and TNF-α in perinatal depressive symptoms. Anhedonia symptoms and third-trimester inflammation may be particularly important. Future work focusing on dimensions of depressive symptoms and inflammatory processes across the perinatal period is key to elucidating specific temporal associations. Further investigation of how changes in inflammation across pregnancy relate to specific types of depressive symptoms could inform and improve perinatal care and intervention.
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