@article{ref1,
title="Retinal-glia ischemia and inflammation induced by chronic stress: The SABPA study",
journal="Brain, behavior, and immunity health",
year="2020",
author="Malan, L. and Hamer, M. and von Känel, R. and van Wyk, R.D. and Wentzel, A. and Steyn, H.S. and van Vuuren, P. and Malan, N.T.",
volume="2",
number="",
pages="-",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Psychobiological processes linking stress and vascular diseases remain poorly understood. The retina and the brain share a common embryonic-diencephalon origin and blood-barrier physiology e.g. ongoing ischemia facilitates S100B release with astrocytic activity and glial-fibrillary-acidic-protein expression (GFAP). However, GFAP decreases revealed astrocyte pathology in the prefrontal cortex of depression/suicide cases; and might be a key mechanism in stress - disease pathways. <br><br>METHODS: A chronic emotional stress phenotype independent of age, ethnicity or sex was used to stratify the current prospective cohort (N ​= ​359; aged 46 ​± ​9 years) into Stress (N ​= ​236) and no-Stress groups (N ​= ​123). Prospective data for glia ischemia risk markers were obtained, including 24 ​h BP, fasting S100B, GFAP, HbA1C and tumor-necrosis-factor-α (TNF-α). At 3-yr follow-up: diastolic-ocular-perfusion-pressure (indicating hypo-perfusion risk) was measured and retinal vessel calibers were quantified from digital images in the mydriatic eye. <br><br>RESULTS: Higher hypertension (75% vs. 16%), diabetes (13% vs. 0%) and retinopathy (57% vs. 45%) prevalence was observed in Stress compared to no-Stress individuals. Stressed individuals had consistently raised S100B, TNF-α, HbA1C and higher diastolic-ocular-perfusion-pressure, but decreases in GFAP and GFAP:S100B. Furthermore stroke risk markers, arterial narrowing and venous widening were associated with consistently raised S100B, GFAP:S100B (p ​= ​0.060), TNF-α and higher diastolic-ocular-perfusion-pressure [Adj. R2 0.39-0.41, p ​≤ ​0.05]. No retinal-glia associations were evident in the no-Stress group. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Retinal-glia ischemia and inflammation was induced by chronic stress. Persistent higher inflammation and S100B with GFAP decreases further reflected stress-induced astrocyte pathology in the human retina. It is recommended to increase awareness on chronic stress and susceptibility for brain ischemia. © 2019 North-West University<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2666-3546",
doi="10.1016/j.bbih.2019.100027",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2019.100027"
}