Search

This study draws from a life-course perspective in examining trajectories of mothers' depressive symptoms across their adolescent daughters' adjustment to parenthood in 204 Mexican-origin families using latent class growth analysis. Four distinct trajectories were identified based on mothers' depressive symptoms before the birth and 10 and 24 months postpartum. Two trajectories were characterized by stable levels of depressive symptoms but were differentiated in their levels of symptoms (i.e., High/Stable and Low/Stable). The remaining two trajectories were characterized by changes from pre- to post-birth, with one group exhibiting increases in depressive symptoms (i.e., Low/Post-Birth Increase) and the other group characterized by decreases in depressive symptoms (i.e., Low/Post-Birth Decrease). Consistent with a risk and resilience perspective, mothers with more disadvantaged socioeconomic circumstances and fewer intrapersonal resources (i.e., self-esteem, ethnic identity affirmation) were more likely to be members of the High/Stable group. In addition, daughters of mothers in the High/Stable group were more likely to have lower self-esteem as compared with daughters in the other three groups. Collectively, these findings suggested that the High/Stable group was at risk for adjustment difficulties from the third trimester to two years postpartum. In contrast, membership in the Low/Post-Birth Decrease trajectory group was associated with lower depressive symptoms and higher self-esteem for mothers and daughters. Findings point to the need to identify mothers who are at risk for depressive symptoms during their adolescent daughters' pregnancy and offer prevention and intervention programs that reduce risks and enhance protective factors., (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.)

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from persons chronically infected with HCV. Reports describe altered monocytic function during HCV infection; however, the immunologic consequences of HCV tropism for human macrophages are not well defined. Thus, the possibility that HCV infection of monocytes may alter patterns of cytokine release was investigated. The in vitro secretion of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin (IL)-1 beta in response to phorbol myristate acetate-stimulated monocytes and PBMC of subjects chronically infected or not infected with HCV was compared. TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta release were suppressed in cells from infected subjects. Although virus-induced immunosuppression is not a major clinical syndrome of HCV infection, the findings support a hypothesis that HCV can induce selective defects in antigen-presenting cells that may enhance the ability of HCV to persist despite the presence of cytotoxic killer cells and antibody directed against HCV.

The blood-borne hepatitis viruses, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV), have similar epidemiological features. The association of chronic HBV infection and glomerulonephritis is well established, particularly in children. Recent reports have shown an association between HCV infection and glomerulonephritis in adults. In order to assess the role of these hepatotropic viruses in membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) we screened 34 children with idiopathic MPGN for the presence of HBV and HCV infection using highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction techniques for the detection of HBV DNA and HCV RNA. Also, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to detect the presence of antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen and antibody to HCV. No evidence of HBV or HCV infection was demonstrated in any of the patients. We conclude that HBV and HCV are not significant causes of idiopathic MPGN in children in the United States.