Cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of global morbidity and mortality. Traditional risk factors account for only part of the attributable risk. The origins of atherosclerosis are in early life, a potential albeit largely unrecognized window of opportunity for early detection and treatment of subclinical cardiovascular disease. There are robust epidemiological data indicating that poor intrauterine growth and/or prematurity, and perinatal factors such as maternal hypercholesterolaemia, smoking, diabetes and obesity, are associated with adverse cardiovascular intermediate phenotypes in childhood and adulthood. Many of these early-life risk factors result in a heightened inflammatory state. Inflammation is a central mechanism in the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, but few studies have investigated the role of overt perinatal infection and inflammation (chorioamnionitis) as a potential contributor to cardiovascular risk. Limited evidence from human and experimental models suggests an association between chorioamnionitis and cardiac and vascular dysfunction. Early life inflammatory events may be an important mechanism in the early development of cardiovascular risk and may provide insights into the associations between perinatal factors and adult cardiovascular disease. This review aims to summarise current data on the early life origins of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, with particular focus on perinatal inflammation.
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Review Article|
July 29 2015
Perinatal inflammation: a common factor in the early origins of cardiovascular disease?
Maria U. Nguyen;
Maria U. Nguyen
1
*The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, 27–31 Wright Street, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
†Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
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Megan J. Wallace;
Megan J. Wallace
1
*The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, 27–31 Wright Street, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
†Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
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Salvatore Pepe;
Salvatore Pepe
‡Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
§Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
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Trevelyan R. Menheniott;
Trevelyan R. Menheniott
‡Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
§Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
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Timothy J. Moss;
Timothy J. Moss
2
*The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, 27–31 Wright Street, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
†Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
Correspondence: Associate Professor Timothy J. Moss ([email protected]) or Professor David Burgner (email [email protected]).
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David Burgner
David Burgner
2
‡Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
§Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
║Department of Paediatrics, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
Correspondence: Associate Professor Timothy J. Moss ([email protected]) or Professor David Burgner (email [email protected]).
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
January 13 2015
Revision Received:
June 08 2015
Accepted:
June 25 2015
Online ISSN: 1470-8736
Print ISSN: 0143-5221
© 2015 Authors; published by Portland Press Limited
2015
Clin Sci (Lond) (2015) 129 (8): 769–784.
Article history
Received:
January 13 2015
Revision Received:
June 08 2015
Accepted:
June 25 2015
Citation
Maria U. Nguyen, Megan J. Wallace, Salvatore Pepe, Trevelyan R. Menheniott, Timothy J. Moss, David Burgner; Perinatal inflammation: a common factor in the early origins of cardiovascular disease?. Clin Sci (Lond) 1 October 2015; 129 (8): 769–784. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20150045
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