Are depressive symptoms associated with biological aging in a cross-sectional analysis of adults over age 50 in the United States.

Major depressive disorder accelerates DNA methylation age, a biological aging marker. Subclinical depressive symptoms are common, but their link to DNA methylation aging in older adults remains unexplored. This study analyzed the cross-sectional relationship between depressive symptoms and accelerated DNA methylation aging, considering gender and race/ethnicity in U.

DNA methylation age acceleration is associated with incident cognitive impairment in the Health and Retirement Study.

Background: DNA methylation clocks have emerged as promising biomarkers for cognitive impairment and dementia. Longitudinal studies exploring the link between DNA methylation clocks and cognitive decline have been constrained by limited sample sizes and a lack of diversity.

Objective: Our study aimed to investigate the longitudinal associations between DNA methylation clocks and incident cognitive impairment using a larger sample size encompassing a US nationally representative sample from the Health and Retirement Study.

Phenomewide Association Study of Health Outcomes Associated With the Genetic Correlates of 25 Hydroxyvitamin D Concentration and Vitamin D Binding Protein Concentration.

While it is known that vitamin D deficiency is associated with adverse bone outcomes, it remains unclear whether low vitamin D status may increase the risk of a wider range of health outcomes. We had the opportunity to explore the association between common genetic variants associated with both 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) and the vitamin D binding protein (DBP, encoded by the gene) with a comprehensive range of health disorders and laboratory tests in a large academic medical center. We used summary statistics for 25OHD and DBP to generate polygenic scores (PGS) for 66,482 participants with primarily European ancestry and 13,285 participants with primarily African ancestry from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Biobank (BioVU).

Risk of Postpartum Dental Caries: Survival Analysis of Black/African American and White Women in Appalachia.

Background: Pregnancy is associated with increased risk of caries, but the extent this increase extends into the postpartum period is poorly understood.

Study Objective: Describe the epidemiology of dental decay in the postpartum period among Black/African American and White American women and explore associations with potentially modifiable risk factors.

Materials And Methods: We analyzed data from 1,131 Black/African American and White women participating in Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia cohorts.

Smoking and salivary microbiota: a cross-sectional analysis of an Italian alpine population.

The oral microbiota plays an important role in the exogenous nitrate reduction pathway and is associated with heart and periodontal disease and cigarette smoking. We describe smoking-related changes in oral microbiota composition and resulting potential metabolic pathway changes that may explain smoking-related changes in disease risk. We analyzed health information and salivary microbiota composition among 1601 Cooperative Health Research in South Tyrol participants collected 2017-2018.

Depressive symptoms are associated with DNA methylation age acceleration in a cross-sectional analysis of adults over age 50 in the United States.

Background: Major depressive disorder affects mental well-being and accelerates DNA methylation age, a marker of biological aging. Subclinical depressive symptoms and DNA methylation aging have not been explored.

Objective: To assess the cross-sectional association between depressive symptoms and accelerated DNA methylation aging among United States adults over age 50.

Bacterial community modifies host genetics effect on early childhood caries.

Background: By age five approximately one-fifth of children have early childhood caries (ECC). Both the oral microbiome and host genetics are thought to influence susceptibility. Whether the oral microbiome modifies genetic susceptibility to ECC has not been tested.

The Mediating Role of Systemic Inflammation and Moderating Role of Race/Ethnicity in Racialized Disparities in Incident Dementia: A Decomposition Analysis.

Background: Exposure to systemic racism is linked to increased dementia burden. To assess systemic inflammation as a potential pathway linking exposure to racism and dementia disparities, we investigated the mediating role of C-reactive protein (CRP), a systemic inflammation marker, and the moderating role of race/ethnicity on racialized disparities in incident dementia.

Methods: In the US Health and Retirement Study (n=5,143), serum CRP was measured at baseline (2006, 2008 waves).

Evaluating the ecological hypothesis: early life salivary microbiome assembly predicts dental caries in a longitudinal case-control study.

Background: Early childhood caries (ECC)-dental caries (cavities) occurring in primary teeth up to age 6 years-is a prevalent childhood oral disease with a microbial etiology. Streptococcus mutans was previously considered a primary cause, but recent research promotes the ecologic hypothesis, in which a dysbiosis in the oral microbial community leads to caries. In this incident, density sampled case-control study of 189 children followed from 2 months to 5 years, we use the salivary bacteriome to (1) prospectively test the ecological hypothesis of ECC in salivary bacteriome communities and (2) identify co-occurring salivary bacterial communities predicting future ECC.

Polymethylation scores for prenatal maternal smoke exposure persist until age 15 and are detected in saliva in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing cohort.

Prenatal maternal smoking is associated with low birthweight, neurological disorders, and asthma in exposed children. DNA methylation signatures can function as biomarkers of prenatal smoke exposure. However, the robustness of DNA methylation signatures across child ages, genetic ancestry groups, or tissues is not clear.

Insights into epidemiologic assessments of the microbiome and challenges in identifying microbiome relationships with adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Purpose Of Review: We describe different methods for microbiome assessment and analysis and highlight some of the challenges of using omics data in epidemiologic studies of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Recent Findings: Human microbiomes are dynamic and vary by ancestry and geography. The composition and dynamics of the vaginal microbiome has been associated with risk of preterm birth.

Associations Between Salivary Bacteriome Diversity and Salivary Human Herpesvirus Detection in Early Childhood: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: The bacteriome is associated with susceptibility to some eukaryotic viruses, but no study has examined associations between the salivary bacteriome and human herpesviruses (HHVs). We provide new prevalence and incidence estimates for salivary herpesviruses detection and estimate associations with bacteriome diversity in young children.

Methods: Salivary samples collected at ages ~2, 8, 12, and 24 months from 153 children participating in the Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia cohort 2 (COHRA2) were screened for HHVs using the Fast-Track Neuro9 multiplex PCR assay, and for the bacteriome using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing.

Co-occurrence of yeast, streptococci, dental decay, and gingivitis in the post-partum period: results of a longitudinal study.

: The interactions between yeast and streptococci species that lead to dental decay and gingivitis are poorly understood. Our study describes these associations among a cohort of 101 post-partum women enrolled in the Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia, 2012-2013. : All eligible women without dental caries were included (n = 21) and the remainder were randomly sampled to represent the total number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) at enrollment.

Vaginal microbiome diversity and preterm birth: results of a nested case-control study in Peru.

Purpose: Preterm birth (PTB) is a major cause of neonatal mortality. The vaginal microbiome is associated with PTB, but results vary across racial/ethnic populations. Some evidence suggests gestational age affects this association.

Dietary patterns associated with dental caries in adults in the United States.

Objectives: Dental caries experience, which affects 91% of US adults, is a consequence of a carious process influenced by diet. Although individual foods have been implicated, we hypothesized that dietary patterns might be important predictors of caries presence.

Methods: We analysed data from 4467 people ≥18 years old participating in the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationally representative sample of the US population.

Profiles of the bacterial community in short-term indwelling urinary catheters by duration of catheterization and subsequent urinary tract infection.

Background: Urinary catheterization, even of short duration, increases the risk of subsequent urinary tract infection (UTI). Whether the bacteria found on the surface of catheters placed for <3 days are associated with UTI risk is unknown.

Methods: We screened the biofilms found on the extraluminal surface of 127 catheters placed for <3 days in women undergoing elective gynecologic surgery, using targeted quantitative polymerase chain reaction and an untargeted 16S rRNA taxonomic screen.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of alternative naloxone distribution strategies: First responder and lay distribution in the United States.

Background: The U.S. is facing an unprecedented number of opioid-related overdose deaths, and an array of other countries have experienced increases in opioid-related fatalities.

Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis.

Purpose: Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC), multiple episodes of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC; vaginal yeast infection) within a 12-month period, adversely affects quality of life, mental health, and sexual activity. Diagnosis is not straightforward, as VVC is defined by the combination of often nonspecific vaginal symptoms and the presence of yeast-which is a common vaginal commensal. Estimating the incidence and prevalence is challenging: most VVC is diagnosed and treated empirically, the availability for purchase of effective therapies over the counter enables self-diagnosis and treatment, and the duration of the relatively benign VVC symptoms is short, introducing errors into any estimates relying on medical records or patient recall.

Gender and Ethnic Differences in the Association Between Body Image Dissatisfaction and Binge Eating Disorder among Blacks.

Background: The research on binge eating has overwhelmingly focused on Whites. We aimed to study gender and ethnic differences in the association between body image dissatisfaction and binge eating in a nationally representative sample of Black adults in the USA.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL), 2003-2004.