Association of Primary Immunodeficiencies in Parents With Psychiatric Disorders and Suicidal Behavior in Their Offspring

Isung J, Isomura K, Williams K, et al. Association of Primary Immunodeficiencies in Parents With Psychiatric Disorders and Suicidal Behavior in Their Offspring. JAMA Psychiatry. 2023;80(4):323–330. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.4786

• Cohort study (4,294,169 offspring) revealed increased psychiatric disorder and suicidal behavior risk in offspring of mothers (not fathers) with PIDs.
• Risk persisted after adjusting for parental psychopathology and autoimmune diseases, even when excluding offspring with PIDs and autoimmune diseases.
• Maternal PIDs are associated with an elevated risk of psychiatric disorders and suicidal behavior in offspring, aligning with the maternal immune activation (MIA) hypothesis.
• While supporting the MIA hypothesis, the precise mechanisms necessitate further investigation, particularly concerning the heightened risk when co-occurring with autoimmune diseases.