1
|
Pilkay S, Riffer A, Carroll A. Trauma context exerts intergenerational effects on child mental health via DNA methylation. Epigenetics 2024; 19:2333654. [PMID: 38577817 PMCID: PMC11000619 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2024.2333654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Many people experience traumatic or negative events, but few develop mental health issues as a result. This study investigated whether newborn DNA methylation (DNAm) previously associated with maternal childhood physical abuse by her father affected the child's mental health and physical growth, as well as whether it mediated or moderated developmental outcomes. METHODS Study sample (N = 903) and data came from Bristol University's Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. DNAm was measured in cord blood at birth. DNAm data was preprocessed, normalized, and quality controlled before subsetting to 60 CpG sites of interest from previous research. Linear regression analysis examined newborn DNAm and child development outcome associations. Sobel test examined the mediating relationship between mother's history of childhood abuse by father, newborn targeted gene DNAm of significant CpG sites, and child's mental health and physical growth. Moderation analyses examined the interaction effects between the significant CpG sites and mothers' physical abuse by their fathers on child's mental health and physical growth. RESULTS Full cohort analyses showed that newborn DNAm of several different CpG sites associates with separation anxiety, fear, and unhappy/tearful presentations in children aged 6-7 y. Sex-specific associations emerged with boys showing associations with anxiety and fear, and girls showing associations with fear and unhappiness. In boys only, cord blood DNAm mediates the effect of maternal childhood trauma on offspring mental health. No moderation effects emerged. CONCLUSION Intergenerational effects of mother's relationship to her abuser present in newborn DNAm associate with 7-year-old child's mental health, show sex-specific effects, and newborn DNAm does mediate maternal childhood trauma effects on offspring mental health in early-life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Pilkay
- Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, School of Social Work, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NYUSA
| | - Andie Riffer
- Jane Addams College of Social Work, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Andrew Carroll
- Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, School of Social Work, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NYUSA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Vos S, Van den Bergh BRH, Martens DS, Bijnens E, Shkedy Z, Kindermans H, Platzer M, Schwab M, Nawrot TS. Maternal perceived stress and green spaces during pregnancy are associated with adult offspring gene (NR3C1 and IGF2/H19) methylation patterns in adulthood: A pilot study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 167:107088. [PMID: 38924829 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Changes in NR3C1 and IGF2/H19 methylation patterns have been associated with behavioural and psychiatric outcomes. Maternal mental state has been associated with offspring NR3C1 promotor and IGF2/H19 imprinting control region (ICR) methylation patterns. However, there is a lack of prospective studies with long-term follow-up. METHODS 52 mother-offspring pairs were studied from 12 to 22 weeks of pregnancy and offspring was followed-up until 28-29 years-of-age. During pregnancy, mothers filled in a Life Event Scale and a Daily Hassles Scale measuring perceived stress; i.e., appraisal or subjectively experienced severity of impact of important life events and of daily hassles in several life domains during pregnancy, respectively. Green space was quantified around the residence, using high-resolution (1 m2) map data. Saliva and blood samples were obtained from the adult offspring. Absolute DNA methylation levels were determined in blood and saliva on four NR3C1 amplicons, and one IGF2/H19 ICR amplicon using a bisulfite PCR and sequencing method. Linear mixed effect models were used to test the associations between perceived stress and green spaces during pregnancy, and adult offspring methylation patterns. RESULTS We found associations between maternal perceived stress during pregnancy and methylation patterns on two out of the four NR3C1 amplicons, measured in blood, from offspring in adulthood, but not with IGF2/H19 methylation. For an interquartile-range (IQR) increase in maternal perceived life event or daily hassles stress scores, absolute methylation levels on several NR3C1 CpG sites were significantly changed (-1.62 % to +5.89 %, p<0.05). Maternal perceived stress scores were not associated with IGF2/H19 methylation, neither in blood nor in saliva. Maternal exposure to green spaces surrounding the residence during the pregnancy was associated with IGF2/H19 ICR methylation (-0.80 % to -1.04 %, p<0.05) in saliva, but not with NR3C1 promotor methylation. CONCLUSION We observed significant long-term effects of maternal perceived stress during pregnancy on the methylation patterns of the NR3C1 promotor in offspring well into adulthood. This may imply that maternal psychological distress during pregnancy may influence the regulation of the HPA-axis well into adulthood. Additionally, maternal proximity to green spaces was associated with IGF2/H19 ICR methylation patterns, which is a novel finding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stijn Vos
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Bea R H Van den Bergh
- Health Psychology Research Group and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Dries S Martens
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Esmée Bijnens
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium; Department of Environmental Sciences, Open University, Heerlen, the Netherlands
| | - Ziv Shkedy
- Data Science Institute, Centre for Statistics, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Hanne Kindermans
- Research Group Healthcare & ethics, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Matthias Platzer
- Genome Analysis Group, Leibniz Institute on Aging - Fritz Lipmann Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Matthias Schwab
- Hans Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Tim S Nawrot
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium; Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Occupational & Environmental Medicine, KU Leuven, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Brown ER, Gettler LT, Rosenbaum S. Effects of social environments on male primate HPG and HPA axis developmental programming. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22491. [PMID: 38698633 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Developmental plasticity is particularly important for humans and other primates because of our extended period of growth and maturation, during which our phenotypes adaptively respond to environmental cues. The hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axes are likely to be principal targets of developmental "programming" given their roles in coordinating fitness-relevant aspects of the phenotype, including sexual development, adult reproductive and social strategies, and internal responses to the external environment. In social animals, including humans, the social environment is believed to be an important source of cues to which these axes may adaptively respond. The effects of early social environments on the HPA axis have been widely studied in humans, and to some extent, in other primates, but there are still major gaps in knowledge specifically relating to males. There has also been relatively little research examining the role that social environments play in developmental programming of the HPG axis or the HPA/HPG interface, and what does exist disproportionately focuses on females. These topics are likely understudied in males in part due to the difficulty of identifying developmental milestones in males relative to females and the general quiescence of the HPG axis prior to maturation. However, there are clear indicators that early life social environments matter for both sexes. In this review, we examine what is known about the impact of social environments on HPG and HPA axis programming during male development in humans and nonhuman primates, including the role that epigenetic mechanisms may play in this programming. We conclude by highlighting important next steps in this research area.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ella R Brown
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
- Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Stacy Rosenbaum
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Jiang Y, Gao Y, Dong D, Sun X, Situ W, Yao S. The amygdala volume moderates the relationship between childhood maltreatment and callous-unemotional traits in adolescents with conduct disorder. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024:10.1007/s00787-024-02482-y. [PMID: 38832960 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-024-02482-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
CU traits, characterized by shallow affect, lack of fear, and absence of remorse, have been moderately associated with childhood maltreatment in a recent meta-analysis. However, the potential impact of brain structures remains undetermined. This paper examines the relationship between callous-unemotional (CU) traits, childhood maltreatment, and amygdala volumes. In this study, we used a region-of-interest (ROI) analysis to explore the interaction between the volumes of the amygdala, childhood maltreatment, and the manifestation of CU traits in adolescents diagnosed with conduct disorder (CD, N = 67), along with a comparison group of healthy-control youths (HCs, N = 89). The ROI analysis revealed no significant group differences in the bilateral amygdalar volumes. Significant positive correlation was discovered between all forms of child maltreatment (except for physical neglect) and CU traits across subjects. But the interaction of physical abuse and amygdala volumes was only significant within CD patients. Notably, a sensitivity analysis suggested that gender significantly influences these findings. These results contribute critical insights into the etiology of CU traits, emphasizing the need for customized clinical assessment tools and intervention strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yali Jiang
- Department of Psychology, School of Education Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.
- Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.
- Research Base for Mental Health Education of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yidian Gao
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Daifeng Dong
- Medical Psychological Center, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoqiang Sun
- Medical Psychological Center, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Weijun Situ
- Department of Radiology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuqiao Yao
- Medical Psychological Center, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center on Psychiatry and Psychology, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Dahrendorff J, Currier G, Uddin M. Leveraging DNA methylation to predict treatment response in major depressive disorder: A critical review. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2024:e32985. [PMID: 38650309 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating and prevalent mental disorder with a high disease burden. Despite a wide array of different treatment options, many patients do not respond to initial treatment attempts. Selection of the most appropriate treatment remains a significant clinical challenge in psychiatry, highlighting the need for the development of biomarkers with predictive utility. Recently, the epigenetic modification DNA methylation (DNAm) has emerged to be of great interest as a potential predictor of MDD treatment outcomes. Here, we review efforts to date that seek to identify DNAm signatures associated with treatment response in individuals with MDD. Searches were conducted in the databases PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science with the concepts and keywords MDD, DNAm, antidepressants, psychotherapy, cognitive behavior therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and brain stimulation therapies. We identified 32 studies implicating DNAm patterns associated with MDD treatment outcomes. The majority of studies (N = 25) are focused on selected target genes exploring treatment outcomes in pharmacological treatments (N = 22) with a few studies assessing treatment response to electroconvulsive therapy (N = 3). Additionally, there are few genome-scale efforts (N = 7) to characterize DNAm patterns associated with treatment outcomes. There is a relative dearth of studies investigating DNAm patterns in relation to psychotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy, or transcranial magnetic stimulation; importantly, most existing studies have limited sample sizes. Given the heterogeneity in both methods and results of studies to date, there is a need for additional studies before existing findings can inform clinical decisions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Dahrendorff
- Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Glenn Currier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Monica Uddin
- Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Leri J, Liu J, Kelly M, Kertes DA. A preliminary investigation of epigenome-wide DNA methylation and temperament during infancy. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22475. [PMID: 38470455 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
This study provides preliminary evidence for an epigenetic architecture of infant temperament. At 12 months of age, blood was collected and assayed for DNA methylation and maternally reported infant temperament was assessed using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire in 67 mother-infant dyads. Epigenome-wide analyses showed that the higher order temperament dimensions Surgency and Negative Affect were associated with DNA methylation. The epigenetic signatures of Surgency and Negative Affect were situated at genes involved in synaptic signaling and plasticity. Although replication is required, these results are consistent with a biologically based model of temperament, create new avenues for hypothesis-driven research into epigenetic pathways that underlie individual differences in temperament, and demonstrate that infant temperament has a widespread epigenetic signature in the methylome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John Leri
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Jingwen Liu
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Maria Kelly
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Darlene A Kertes
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- UF Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Penner-Goeke S, Binder EB. Linking environmental factors and gene regulation. eLife 2024; 13:e96710. [PMID: 38497535 PMCID: PMC10948141 DOI: 10.7554/elife.96710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
A technique called mSTARR-seq sheds light on how DNA methylation may shape responses to external stimuli by altering the activity of sequences that control gene expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Signe Penner-Goeke
- Department of Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Elisabeth B Binder
- Department of Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Anderson JA, Lin D, Lea AJ, Johnston RA, Voyles T, Akinyi MY, Archie EA, Alberts SC, Tung J. DNA methylation signatures of early-life adversity are exposure-dependent in wild baboons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2309469121. [PMID: 38442181 PMCID: PMC10945818 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309469121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The early-life environment can profoundly shape the trajectory of an animal's life, even years or decades later. One mechanism proposed to contribute to these early-life effects is DNA methylation. However, the frequency and functional importance of DNA methylation in shaping early-life effects on adult outcomes is poorly understood, especially in natural populations. Here, we integrate prospectively collected data on fitness-associated variation in the early environment with DNA methylation estimates at 477,270 CpG sites in 256 wild baboons. We find highly heterogeneous relationships between the early-life environment and DNA methylation in adulthood: aspects of the environment linked to resource limitation (e.g., low-quality habitat, early-life drought) are associated with many more CpG sites than other types of environmental stressors (e.g., low maternal social status). Sites associated with early resource limitation are enriched in gene bodies and putative enhancers, suggesting they are functionally relevant. Indeed, by deploying a baboon-specific, massively parallel reporter assay, we show that a subset of windows containing these sites are capable of regulatory activity, and that, for 88% of early drought-associated sites in these regulatory windows, enhancer activity is DNA methylation-dependent. Together, our results support the idea that DNA methylation patterns contain a persistent signature of the early-life environment. However, they also indicate that not all environmental exposures leave an equivalent mark and suggest that socioenvironmental variation at the time of sampling is more likely to be functionally important. Thus, multiple mechanisms must converge to explain early-life effects on fitness-related traits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jordan A. Anderson
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
| | - Dana Lin
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
| | - Amanda J. Lea
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Child & Brain Development Program, Toronto, ONM5G 1M1, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37235
| | | | - Tawni Voyles
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
| | - Mercy Y. Akinyi
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi00502, Kenya
| | - Elizabeth A. Archie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN46556
| | - Susan C. Alberts
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
- Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
| | - Jenny Tung
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Child & Brain Development Program, Toronto, ONM5G 1M1, Canada
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
- Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig04103, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Creasey N, Leijten P, Tollenaar MS, Boks MP, Overbeek G. DNA methylation variation after a parenting program for child conduct problems: Findings from a randomized controlled trial. Child Dev 2024. [PMID: 38436454 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.14090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
This study investigated associations of the Incredible Years (IY) parenting program with children's DNA methylation. Participants were 289 Dutch children aged 3-9 years (75% European ancestry, 48% female) with above-average conduct problems. Saliva was collected 2.5 years after families were randomized to IY or care as usual (CAU). Using an intention-to-treat approach, confirmatory multiple-regression analyses revealed no significant differences between the IY and CAU groups in children's methylation levels at the NR3C1 and FKBP5 genes. However, exploratory epigenome-wide analyses revealed nine differentially methylated regions between groups, coinciding with SLAMF1, MITF, FAM200B, PSD3, SNX31, and CELSR1. The study provides preliminary evidence for associations of IY with children's salivary methylation levels and highlights the need for further research into biological outcomes of parenting programs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Creasey
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Patty Leijten
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marieke S Tollenaar
- Institute of Psychology & Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marco P Boks
- Institute of Psychology & Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center University Medical Center Utrecht, University Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Geertjan Overbeek
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Singh MK, Gorelik AJ, Stave C, Gotlib IH. Genetics, epigenetics, and neurobiology of childhood-onset depression: an umbrella review. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:553-565. [PMID: 38102485 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02347-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Depression is a serious and persistent psychiatric disorder that commonly first manifests during childhood. Depression that starts in childhood is increasing in frequency, likely due both to evolutionary trends and to increased recognition of the disorder. In this umbrella review, we systematically searched the extant literature for genetic, epigenetic, and neurobiological factors that contribute to a childhood onset of depression. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, OVID/PsychInfo, and Google Scholar with the following inclusion criteria: (1) systematic review or meta-analysis from a peer-reviewed journal; (2) inclusion of a measure assessing early age of onset of depression; and (3) assessment of neurobiological, genetic, environmental, and epigenetic predictors of early onset depression. Findings from 89 systematic reviews of moderate to high quality suggest that childhood-onset depressive disorders have neurobiological, genetic, environmental, and epigenetic roots consistent with a diathesis-stress theory of depression. This review identified key putative markers that may be targeted for personalized clinical decision-making and provide important insights concerning candidate mechanisms that might underpin the early onset of depression.
Collapse
|
11
|
Mohazzab-Hosseinian S, Garcia E, Wiemels J, Marconett C, Corona K, Howe CG, Foley H, Farzan SF, Bastain TM, Breton CV. Effect of parental adverse childhood experiences on intergenerational DNA methylation signatures from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and buccal mucosa. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:89. [PMID: 38342906 PMCID: PMC10859367 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02747-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024] Open
Abstract
In this study, the effect of cumulative ACEs experienced on human maternal DNA methylation (DNAm) was estimated while accounting for interaction with domains of ACEs in prenatal peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples from the Maternal and Developmental Risks from Environmental Stressors (MADRES) pregnancy cohort. The intergenerational transmission of ACE-associated DNAm was also explored used paired maternal (N = 120) and neonatal cord blood (N = 69) samples. Replication in buccal samples was explored in the Children's Health Study (CHS) among adult parental (N = 31) and pediatric (N = 114) samples. We used a four-level categorical indicator variable for ACEs exposure: none (0 ACEs), low (1-3 ACEs), moderate (4-6 ACEs), and high (>6 ACEs). Effects of ACEs on maternal DNAm (N = 240) were estimated using linear models. To evaluate evidence for intergenerational transmission, mediation analysis (N = 60 mother-child pairs) was used. Analysis of maternal samples displayed some shared but mostly distinct effects of ACEs on DNAm across low, moderate, and high ACEs categories. CLCN7 and PTPRN2 was associated with maternal DNAm in the low ACE group and this association replicated in the CHS. CLCN7 was also nominally significant in the gene expression correlation analysis among maternal profiles (N = 35), along with 11 other genes. ACE-associated methylation was observed in maternal and neonatal profiles in the COMT promoter region, with some evidence of mediation by maternal COMT methylation. Specific genomic loci exhibited mutually exclusive maternal ACE effects on DNAm in either maternal or neonatal population. There is some evidence for an intergenerational effect of ACEs, supported by shared DNAm signatures in the COMT gene across maternal-neonatal paired samples.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sahra Mohazzab-Hosseinian
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.
| | - Erika Garcia
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Joseph Wiemels
- Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Crystal Marconett
- Translational Genomics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
- Hastings Center for Pulmonary Research, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
- Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
- Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Karina Corona
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Caitlin G Howe
- Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, 1 Medical Center Dr, Lebanon, NH, 03756, USA
| | - Helen Foley
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Shohreh F Farzan
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Theresa M Bastain
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Carrie V Breton
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Wang HH, Moon SY, Kim H, Kim G, Ahn WY, Joo YY, Cha J. Early life stress modulates the genetic influence on brain structure and cognitive function in children. Heliyon 2024; 10:e23345. [PMID: 38187352 PMCID: PMC10770463 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The enduring influence of early life stress (ELS) on brain and cognitive development has been widely acknowledged, yet the precise mechanisms underlying this association remain elusive. We hypothesize that ELS might disrupt the genome-wide influence on brain morphology and connectivity development, consequently exerting a detrimental impact on children's cognitive ability. We analyzed the multimodal data of DNA genotypes, brain imaging (structural and diffusion MRI), and neurocognitive battery (NIH Toolbox) of 4276 children (ages 9-10 years, European ancestry) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. The genome-wide influence on cognitive function was estimated using the polygenic score (GPS). By using brain morphometry and tractography, we identified the brain correlates of the cognition GPSs. Statistical analyses revealed relationships for the gene-brain-cognition pathway. The brain structural variance significantly mediated the genetic influence on cognition (indirect effect = 0.016, PFDR < 0.001). Of note, this gene-brain relationship was significantly modulated by abuse, resulting in diminished cognitive capacity (Index of Moderated Mediation = -0.007; 95 % CI = -0.012 ∼ -0.002). Our results support a novel gene-brain-cognition model likely elucidating the long-lasting negative impact of ELS on children's cognitive development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hee-Hwan Wang
- Department of Brain Cognitive and Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08825, South Korea
| | - Seo-Yoon Moon
- College of Liberal Studies, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08825, South Korea
| | - Hyeonjin Kim
- Department of Psychology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08825, South Korea
| | - Gakyung Kim
- Department of Brain Cognitive and Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08825, South Korea
| | - Woo-Young Ahn
- Department of Psychology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08825, South Korea
| | - Yoonjung Yoonie Joo
- Department of Psychology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08825, South Korea
- Department of Digital Health, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences & Technology (SAIHST), Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, 06355, South Korea
- Research Center for Future Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, 06335, South Korea
| | - Jiook Cha
- Department of Brain Cognitive and Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08825, South Korea
- Department of Psychology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08825, South Korea
- AI Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08825, South Korea
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Chen M, Cao C. The mediation effect of glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) methylation between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents: A 2-year longitudinal study. Child Dev 2024; 95:144-159. [PMID: 37467343 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
This three-wave longitudinal study examined whether methylation alterations in promoter exon 1F of a stress-related gene-NR3C1 (NR3C1-1F)-explained the longitudinal associations between childhood maltreatment and adolescent depressive symptoms. A total of 370 Han Chinese adolescents (Mage = 16.31 ± 1.28 years; 51.4% girls) recruited from Shandong, China were tracked from 2018 to 2020. The results showed that the severity of childhood maltreatment, especially that of emotional abuse and physical neglect, conferred risk for adolescent depressive symptoms via reducing NR3C1-1F methylation levels. These mediation effects of NR3C1-1F methylation did not vary between adolescent sex or NR3C1 BclI and Tth111I polymorphisms. The findings highlight how childhood maltreatment contributes to psychopathology development at a biological level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meijing Chen
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Cong Cao
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Hoffmann F, Heim C. [Emotional Abuse in Childhood and Adolescence: Biological Embedding and Clinical Implications]. Prax Kinderpsychol Kinderpsychiatr 2024; 73:4-27. [PMID: 38275227 DOI: 10.13109/prkk.2024.73.1.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Emotional abuse, defined as degrading, manipulative, or neglectful behaviors by caregivers, represents a common adverse experience for children and adolescents, often co-occurring with other maltreatment types. Exposure to emotional abuse significantly affects mental health across the lifespan and is particularly associated with elevated depression risk.This review examinesmechanisms, by which emotional abuse influences brain development and the neuroendocrine stress response system and discusses the roles of genetic vulnerability and epigenetic processes in contributing to an elevated mental health risk. Emotional abuse has similar effects on brain networks responsible for emotion processing and regulation as other maltreatment types.Moreover, it uniquely affects networks related to self-relevant information and socio-cognitive processes. Furthermore, emotional abuse is associated with an impaired recovery of the neuroendocrine response to acute stress. Similar to other maltreatment types, emotional abuse is associated with epigenetic changes in genes regulating the neuroendocrine stress response system that are implicated in increased mental health risk.These findings suggest that emotional abuse has equally detrimental effects on children'smental health as physical or sexual abuse, warranting broader societal awareness and enhanced early detection efforts. Early interventions should prioritize emotion regulation, social cognition, self-esteemenhancement, and relationship- oriented approaches for victims of emotional abuse.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ferdinand Hoffmann
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Gliedkörperschaft der Freien Universität Berlin und der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Medizinische Psychologie Deutschland
| | - Christine Heim
- Institut für Medizinische Psychologie Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Luisenstr. 57 10117 Berlin Deutschland
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Airikka A, Lahti-Pulkkinen M, Tuovinen S, Heinonen K, Lahti J, Girchenko P, Lähdepuro A, Pyhälä R, Czamara D, Villa P, Laivuori H, Kajantie E, Binder EB, Räikkönen K. Maternal exposure to childhood maltreatment and mental and behavioral disorders in children. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2023; 32:2463-2475. [PMID: 36181574 PMCID: PMC10682113 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-022-02090-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to maltreatment in childhood is associated with lifelong risk of mental and behavioral disorders. Whether the effects extend to the next generation remains unclear. We examined whether maternal exposure to childhood abuse and neglect in her own childhood were associated with mental and behavioral disorders and psychiatric symptoms in her children, and whether maternal lifetime mental and behavioral disorders or lower education level mediated or added to the effects. Mothers (n = 2252) of the Prediction and Prevention of Preeclampsia and Intrauterine Growth Restriction cohort study completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and reported on their education and their 7.0-12.1-year-old children's psychiatric symptoms using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. We identified lifetime mental and behavioral disorder diagnoses for the mothers and diagnoses for their children from birth (2006-2010) until 8.4-12.8 years (12/31/2018) from Care Register for Health Care. We found that maternal exposure to childhood abuse, but not neglect, was associated with higher hazards of mental and behavioral disorders (hazard ratio 1.20, 95% confidence interval 1.06-1.37) in children. These associations were partially mediated by maternal mental and behavioral disorders and education (proportion of effect size mediated: 23.8% and 15.1%, respectively), which together with maternal exposure to childhood abuse added to the hazard of mental and behavioral disorders in children. Similar associations were found for maternal exposure to childhood abuse and neglect with psychiatric symptoms in children. To conclude, maternal exposure to childhood maltreatment is associated with mental and behavioral disorders and psychiatric symptoms in children. Our findings call for interventions to prevent intergenerational transmission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aino Airikka
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
- The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marius Lahti-Pulkkinen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
- The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
- University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Soile Tuovinen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
- Welfare Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
| | - Kati Heinonen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
- Welfare Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
| | - Jari Lahti
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Polina Girchenko
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna Lähdepuro
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Riikka Pyhälä
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Darina Czamara
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Pia Villa
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hannele Laivuori
- Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki, Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health Research, Tampere University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Eero Kajantie
- The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- PEDEGO Research Unit, MRC Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University for Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Elisabeth B Binder
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Katri Räikkönen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Marzoratti A, Liu ME, Krol KM, Sjobeck GR, Lipscomb DJ, Hofkens TL, Boker SM, Pelphrey KA, Connelly JJ, Evans TM. Epigenetic modification of the oxytocin receptor gene is associated with child-parent neural synchrony during competition. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 63:101302. [PMID: 37734257 PMCID: PMC10518595 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Interpersonal neural synchrony (INS) occurs when neural electrical activity temporally aligns between individuals during social interactions. It has been used as a metric for interpersonal closeness, often during naturalistic child-parent interactions. This study evaluated whether other biological correlates of social processing predicted the prevalence of INS during child-parent interactions, and whether their observed cooperativity modulated this association. Child-parent dyads (n = 27) performed a visuospatial tower-building task in cooperative and competitive conditions. Neural activity was recorded using mobile electroencephalogram (EEG) headsets, and experimenters coded video-recordings post-hoc for behavioral attunement. DNA methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTRm) was measured, an epigenetic modification associated with reduced oxytocin activity and socioemotional functioning. Greater INS during competition was associated with lower child OXTRm, while greater behavioral attunement during competition and cooperation was associated with higher parent OXTRm. These differential relationships suggest that interpersonal dynamics as measured by INS may be similarly reflected by other biological markers of social functioning, irrespective of observed behavior. Children's self-perceived communication skill also showed opposite associations with parent and child OXTRm, suggesting complex relationships between children's and their parents' social functioning. Our findings have implications for ongoing developmental research, supporting the utility of biological metrics in characterizing interpersonal relationships.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Analia Marzoratti
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Megan E Liu
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Kathleen M Krol
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Gus R Sjobeck
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Daniel J Lipscomb
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Tara L Hofkens
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Steven M Boker
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Jessica J Connelly
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Tanya M Evans
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Scorza P, Duarte CS, Lee S, Wu H, Posner J, Baccarelli A, Monk C. Stage 2 Registered Report: Epigenetic Intergenerational Transmission: Mothers' Adverse Childhood Experiences and DNA Methylation. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2023; 62:1110-1122. [PMID: 37330044 PMCID: PMC10594411 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2023.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Individual differences in risk for mental disorders over the lifespan are shaped by forces acting before the individual is born-in utero, but likely even earlier, during the mother's own childhood. The environmental epigenetics hypothesis proposes that sustained effects of environmental conditions on gene expression are mediated by epigenetic mechanisms. Recent human studies have shown that adversities in childhood are correlated with DNA methylation (DNAm) in adulthood. In the current study, we tested the following pre-registered hypotheses: Mothers' adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are correlated with DNAm in peripheral blood during pregnancy (hypothesis 1) and in cord blood samples from newborn infants (hypothesis 2), and women's depression and anxiety symptoms during pregnancy mediate the association between mothers' ACE exposure and prenatal/neonatal DNA methylation (hypothesis 3). METHOD Data were from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children Accessible Resource for Integrated Epigenomic Studies substudy. Women provided retrospective self-reports during pregnancy of ACE exposure. We conducted an epigenome-wide association study testing whether mothers' ACE exposure, cumulative score (0-10), was associated with DNAm in maternal antenatal blood and infant cord blood in more than 450,000 CpG (point on DNA sequence where cytosine and guanine base pairs are linked by a phosphate, where methylation usually occurs) sites on the Illumina 450K BeadChip. Analyses for cord blood were separated by infant sex, a pre-registered analysis. RESULTS Hypothesis 1: In 896 mother-infant pairs with available methylation and ACE exposure data, there were no significant associations between mothers' ACE score and DNAm from antenatal peripheral blood, after controlling for covariates. Hypothesis 2: In infant cord blood, there were 5 CpG sites significantly differentially methylated in relation to mothers' ACEs (false discovery rate [FDR] < .05), but only in male offspring. Effect sizes were medium, with partial eta squared values ranging from 0.060 to 0.078. CpG sites were in genes related to mitochondrial function and neuronal development in the cerebellum. Hypothesis 3: There was no mediation by maternal anxiety/depression symptoms found between mothers' ACEs score and DNAm in the significant CpG sites in male cord blood. Mediation was not tested in antenatal peripheral blood, because no direct association between mothers' ACE score and antenatal peripheral blood was found. CONCLUSION Our results show that mothers' ACE exposure is associated with DNAm in male offspring, supporting the notion that DNAm could be a marker of intergenerational biological embedding of mothers' childhood adversity. STUDY REGISTRATION INFORMATION Epigenetic Intergenerational Transmission: Mothers' Adverse Childhood Experiences and DNA Methylation; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2020.03.008.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Scorza
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York.
| | - Cristiane S Duarte
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York; Columbia University, New York
| | - Seonjoo Lee
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York; Columbia University, New York
| | - Haotian Wu
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York
| | - Jonathan Posner
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York; Columbia University, New York
| | | | - Catherine Monk
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Zhang ZZ, Moeckel C, Mustafa M, Pham H, Olson AE, Mehta D, Dorn LD, Engeland CG, Shenk CE. The association of epigenetic age acceleration and depressive and anxiety symptom severity among children recently exposed to substantiated maltreatment. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 165:7-13. [PMID: 37441927 PMCID: PMC10529086 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Child maltreatment is a major risk factor for both depressive and anxiety disorders. However, many children exposed to maltreatment never meet diagnostic threshold for either disorder while experiencing only transitory symptoms post-exposure. Recent research suggests DNA methylation adds predictive value in explaining variation in the onset and course of multiple psychiatric disorders following exposure to child maltreatment. Epigenetic age acceleration (EAA), the biological aging of cells not attributable to chronological aging, is a stress-sensitive biomarker capturing genome-wide variation in DNA methylation with the potential to identify children who have been maltreated at greatest risk for depressive and anxiety disorders. The current study examined two EAA clocks appropriate for the pediatric population, the Horvath and Pediatric Buccal Epigenetic (PedBE) clocks, and their associations with depressive and anxiety symptom severity following child maltreatment. Children (N = 71) 8-15 years of age, all of whom were exposed to substantiated child maltreatment in the 12 months prior to study entry, were enrolled. Risk modeling adjusting for several confounders revealed that EAA estimated via the Horvath clock was significantly associated with more severe depressive and anxiety symptoms. The PedBE clock was not associated with either depressive or anxiety symptom severity. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that EAA via the Horvath clock robustly predicted depressive and anxiety symptom severity across multiple modeling scenarios. Our findings advance existing research suggesting EAA, as estimated with the Horvath clock, may be a promising biomarker for identifying children at greatest risk for more severe depressive and anxiety symptoms following maltreatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyu Z Zhang
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Camille Moeckel
- The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
| | - Manal Mustafa
- The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
| | - Hung Pham
- The Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Anneke E Olson
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Divya Mehta
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Lorah D Dorn
- Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Christopher G Engeland
- Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA; Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Chad E Shenk
- The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA; Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Zhou Z, Lo CKM, Chan KL, Chung RSY, Pell JP, Minnis H, Shiels PG, Ip P, Ho FK. Child maltreatment and telomere length in middle and older age: retrospective cohort study of 141 748 UK Biobank participants. Br J Psychiatry 2023; 223:377-381. [PMID: 36946056 DOI: 10.1192/bjp.2023.33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is evidence that child maltreatment is associated with shorter telomere length in early life. AIMS This study aims to examine if child maltreatment is associated with telomere length in middle- and older-age adults. METHOD This was a retrospective cohort study of 141 748 UK Biobank participants aged 37-73 years at recruitment. Leukocyte telomere length was measured with quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and log-transformed and scaled to have unit standard deviation. Child maltreatment was recalled by participants. Linear regression was used to analyse the association. RESULTS After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, participants with three or more types of maltreatment presented with the shortest telomere lengths (β = -0.05, 95% CI -0.07 to -0.03; P < 0.0001), followed by those with two types of maltreatment (β = -0.02, 95% CI -0.04 to 0.00; P = 0.02), referent to those who had none. When adjusted for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, the telomere lengths of participants with three or more types of maltreatment were still shorter (β = -0.04, 95% CI -0.07 to -0.02; P = 0.0008). The telomere lengths of those with one type of maltreatment were not significantly different from those who had none. When mutually adjusted, physical abuse (β = -0.05, 95% CI -0.07 to -0.03; P < 0.0001) and sexual abuse (β = -0.02, 95% CI -0.04 to 0.00; P = 0.02) were independently associated with shorter telomere length. CONCLUSIONS Our findings showed that child maltreatment is associated with shorter telomere length in middle- and older-aged adults, independent of sociodemographic and mental health factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ziyi Zhou
- School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, UK
| | - Camilla K M Lo
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
| | - Ko Ling Chan
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
| | | | - Jill P Pell
- School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, UK
| | - Helen Minnis
- School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, UK
| | - Paul G Shiels
- Institute of Cancer Studies, University of Glasgow, UK
| | - Patrick Ip
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Frederick K Ho
- School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, UK
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Mohazzab-Hosseinian S, Garcia E, Wiemels J, Marconett C, Corona K, Howe C, Foley H, Lerner D, Lurvey N, Farzan S, Bastain T, Breton C. Effect of Parental Adverse Childhood Experiences on Intergenerational DNA Methylation Signatures. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2977515. [PMID: 37461498 PMCID: PMC10350189 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2977515/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are events that occur before a child turns 18 years old that may cause trauma. In this study, the effect of cumulative ACEs experienced on human maternal DNA methylation (DNAm) was estimated while accounting for interaction with domains of ACEs in prenatal peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples from the Maternal and Developmental Risks from Environmental Stressors (MADRES) pregnancy cohort. The intergenerational transmission of ACE-associated DNAm was also explored used paired maternal and neonatal cord blood samples. Replication in buccal samples was explored in the Children's Health Study (CHS). We used a four-level categorical indicator variable for ACEs exposure: none (0 ACEs), low (1-3 ACEs), moderate (4-6 ACEs), and high (> 6 ACEs). Effects of ACEs on maternal DNAm (N = 240) were estimated using linear models. To evaluate evidence for intergenerational transmission, mediation analysis was used. Analysis of maternal samples displayed some shared but mostly distinct effects of ACEs on DNAm across low, moderate, and high ACEs categories. CLCN7 and PTPRN2 was associated with maternal DNAm in the low ACE group and this association replicated in the CHS. ACE-associated methylation was observed in maternal and neonatal profiles in the COMT promoter region, with some evidence of mediation by maternal COMT methylation. Specific genomic loci exhibited mutually exclusive maternal ACE effects on DNAm in either maternal or neonatal population. There is some evidence for an intergenerational effect of ACEs, supported by shared DNAm signatures in the COMT gene across maternal-neonatal paired samples.
Collapse
|
21
|
Anderson JA, Lin D, Lea AJ, Johnston RA, Voyles T, Akinyi MY, Archie EA, Alberts SC, Tung J. DNA methylation signatures of early life adversity are exposure-dependent in wild baboons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.05.542485. [PMID: 37333311 PMCID: PMC10274726 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.05.542485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
The early life environment can profoundly shape the trajectory of an animal's life, even years or decades later. One mechanism proposed to contribute to these early life effects is DNA methylation. However, the frequency and functional importance of DNA methylation in shaping early life effects on adult outcomes is poorly understood, especially in natural populations. Here, we integrate prospectively collected data on fitness-associated variation in the early environment with DNA methylation estimates at 477,270 CpG sites in 256 wild baboons. We find highly heterogeneous relationships between the early life environment and DNA methylation in adulthood: aspects of the environment linked to resource limitation (e.g., low-quality habitat, early life drought) are associated with many more CpG sites than other types of environmental stressors (e.g., low maternal social status). Sites associated with early resource limitation are enriched in gene bodies and putative enhancers, suggesting they are functionally relevant. Indeed, by deploying a baboon-specific, massively parallel reporter assay, we show that a subset of windows containing these sites are capable of regulatory activity, and that, for 88% of early drought-associated sites in these regulatory windows, enhancer activity is DNA methylation-dependent. Together, our results support the idea that DNA methylation patterns contain a persistent signature of the early life environment. However, they also indicate that not all environmental exposures leave an equivalent mark and suggest that socioenvironmental variation at the time of sampling is more likely to be functionally important. Thus, multiple mechanisms must converge to explain early life effects on fitness-related traits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jordan A Anderson
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Dana Lin
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Amanda J Lea
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Canada M5G 1M1, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, 37235, USA
| | - Rachel A Johnston
- Zoo New England, Stoneham, Massachusetts, 02180
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142
| | - Tawni Voyles
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Mercy Y Akinyi
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya
| | - Elizabeth A Archie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA
| | - Susan C Alberts
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
- Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Jenny Tung
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Canada M5G 1M1, Canada
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
- Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Arpawong TE, Klopack ET, Kim JK, Crimmins EM. ADHD genetic burden associates with older epigenetic age: mediating roles of education, behavioral and sociodemographic factors among older adults. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:67. [PMID: 37101297 PMCID: PMC10131361 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01484-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Shortened lifespans are associated with having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which is likely mediated by related behavioral and sociodemographic factors that are also associated with accelerated physiological aging. Such factors include exhibiting more depressive symptoms, more cigarette smoking, higher body mass index, lower educational attainment, lower income in adulthood, and more challenges with cognitive processes compared to the general population. A higher polygenic score for ADHD (ADHD-PGS) is associated with having more characteristic features of ADHD. The degree to which (1) the ADHD-PGS associates with an epigenetic biomarker developed to predict accelerated aging and earlier mortality is unknown, as are whether (2) an association would be mediated by behavioral and sociodemographic correlates of ADHD, or (3) an association would be mediated first by educational attainment, then by behavioral and sociodemographic correlates. We evaluated these relationships in a population-based sample from the US Health and Retirement Study, among N = 2311 adults age 50 and older, of European-ancestry, with blood-based epigenetic and genetic data. The ADHD-PGS was calculated from a prior genomewide meta-analysis. Epigenome-wide DNA methylation levels that index biological aging and earlier age of mortality were quantified by a blood-based biomarker called GrimAge. We used a structural equation modeling approach to test associations with single and multi-mediation effects of behavioral and contextual indicators on GrimAge, adjusted for covariates. RESULTS The ADHD-PGS was significantly and directly associated with GrimAge when adjusting for covariates. In single mediation models, the effect of the ADHD-PGS on GrimAge was partially mediated via smoking, depressive symptoms, and education. In multi-mediation models, the effect of the ADHD-PGS on GrimAge was mediated first through education, then smoking, depressive symptoms, BMI, and income. CONCLUSIONS Findings have implications for geroscience research in elucidating lifecourse pathways through which ADHD genetic burden and symptoms can alter risks for accelerated aging and shortened lifespans, when indexed by an epigenetic biomarker. More education appears to play a central role in attenuating negative effects on epigenetic aging from behavioral and sociodemographic risk factors related to ADHD. We discuss implications for the potential behavioral and sociodemographic mediators that may attenuate negative biological system effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thalida E Arpawong
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Eric T Klopack
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jung Ki Kim
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Eileen M Crimmins
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Rubens M, Bruenig D, Adams JAM, Suresh SM, Sathyanarayanan A, Haslam D, Shenk CE, Mathews B, Mehta D. Childhood maltreatment and DNA methylation: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 147:105079. [PMID: 36764637 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Child maltreatment (CM) encompasses sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and exposure to domestic and family violence. Epigenetic research investigating CM has focused on differential DNA methylation (DNAm) in genes associated with the stress response, but there has been limited evaluation of the specific effects of subtypes of CM. This systematic review of literature investigating DNAm associated with CM in non-clinical populations aimed to summarise the approaches currently used in research, how the type of maltreatment and age of exposure were encoded via methylation, and which genes have consistently been associated with CM. A total of fifty-four papers were eligible for review, including forty-one candidate gene studies, eight epigenome-wide association studies, and five studies with a mixed design. The ways in which the various forms of CM were conceptualised and measured varied between papers. Future studies would benefit from assessments that employ conceptually robust definitions of CM, and that capture important contextual information such as age of exposure and subtype of CM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie Rubens
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia
| | - Dagmar Bruenig
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia
| | - Jessica A M Adams
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia
| | - Shruthi M Suresh
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia
| | - Anita Sathyanarayanan
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia
| | - Divna Haslam
- Australian Centre for Health Law Research, School of Law, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia; Parenting and Family Support Centre, University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Chad E Shenk
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, USA; Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, USA
| | - Ben Mathews
- Australian Centre for Health Law Research, School of Law, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia; Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, USA
| | - Divya Mehta
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Alshamrani AA, Alshehri S, Alqarni SS, Ahmad SF, Alghibiwi H, Al-Harbi NO, Alqarni SA, Al-Ayadhi LY, Attia SM, Alfardan AS, Bakheet SA, Nadeem A. DNA Hypomethylation Is Associated with Increased Inflammation in Peripheral Blood Neutrophils of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Understanding the Role of Ubiquitous Pollutant Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate. Metabolites 2023; 13:metabo13030458. [PMID: 36984898 PMCID: PMC10057726 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13030458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multidimensional disorder in which environmental, immune, and genetic factors act in concert to play a crucial role. ASD is characterized by social interaction/communication impairments and stereotypical behavioral patterns. Epigenetic modifications are known to regulate genetic expression through various mechanisms. One such mechanism is DNA methylation, which is regulated by DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs). DNMT transfers methyl groups onto the fifth carbon atom of the cytosine nucleotide, thus converting it into 5-methylcytosine (5mC) in the promoter region of the DNA. Disruptions in methylation patterns of DNA are usually associated with modulation of genetic expression. Environmental pollutants such as the plasticizer Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) have been reported to affect epigenetic mechanisms; however, whether DEHP modulates DNMT1 expression, DNA methylation, and inflammatory mediators in the neutrophils of ASD subjects has not previously been investigated. Hence, this investigation focused on the role of DNMT1 and overall DNA methylation in relation to inflammatory mediators (CCR2, MCP-1) in the neutrophils of children with ASD and typically developing healthy children (TDC). Further, the effect of DEHP on overall DNA methylation, DNMT1, CCR2, and MCP-1 in the neutrophils was explored. Our results show that the neutrophils of ASD subjects have diminished DNMT1 expression, which is associated with hypomethylation of DNA and increased inflammatory mediators such as CCR2 and MCP-1. DEHP further causes downregulation of DNMT1 expression in the neutrophils of ASD subjects, probably through oxidative inflammation, as antioxidant treatment led to reversal of a DEHP-induced reduction in DNMT1. These data highlight the importance of the environmental pollutant DEHP in the modification of epigenetic machinery such as DNA methylation in the neutrophils of ASD subjects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ali A Alshamrani
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Samiyah Alshehri
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sana S Alqarni
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sheikh F Ahmad
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hanan Alghibiwi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Naif O Al-Harbi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saleh A Alqarni
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Laila Y Al-Ayadhi
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sabry M Attia
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ali S Alfardan
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saleh A Bakheet
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Nadeem
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Xu H, Shao Z, Zhang S, Liu X, Zeng P. How can childhood maltreatment affect post-traumatic stress disorder in adult: Results from a composite null hypothesis perspective of mediation analysis. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1102811. [PMID: 36970281 PMCID: PMC10033829 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1102811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundA greatly growing body of literature has revealed the mediating role of DNA methylation in the influence path from childhood maltreatment to psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adult. However, the statistical method is challenging and powerful mediation analyses regarding this issue are lacking.MethodsTo study how the maltreatment in childhood alters long-lasting DNA methylation changes which further affect PTSD in adult, we here carried out a gene-based mediation analysis from a perspective of composite null hypothesis in the Grady Trauma Project (352 participants and 16,565 genes) with childhood maltreatment as exposure, multiple DNA methylation sites as mediators, and PTSD or its relevant scores as outcome. We effectively addressed the challenging issue of gene-based mediation analysis by taking its composite null hypothesis testing nature into consideration and fitting a weighted test statistic.ResultsWe discovered that childhood maltreatment could substantially affected PTSD or PTSD-related scores, and that childhood maltreatment was associated with DNA methylation which further had significant roles in PTSD and these scores. Furthermore, using the proposed mediation method, we identified multiple genes within which DNA methylation sites exhibited mediating roles in the influence path from childhood maltreatment to PTSD-relevant scores in adult, with 13 for Beck Depression Inventory and 6 for modified PTSD Symptom Scale, respectively.ConclusionOur results have the potential to confer meaningful insights into the biological mechanism for the impact of early adverse experience on adult diseases; and our proposed mediation methods can be applied to other similar analysis settings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haibo Xu
- Center for Mental Health Education and Research, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- School of Management, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Haibo Xu,
| | - Zhonghe Shao
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuo Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Xin Liu
- Center for Mental Health Education and Research, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- School of Management, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Ping Zeng
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- Center for Medical Statistics and Data Analysis, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Key Laboratory of Human Genetics and Environmental Medicine, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Ping Zeng,
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Silveira PP, Meaney MJ. Examining the biological mechanisms of human mental disorders resulting from gene-environment interdependence using novel functional genomic approaches. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 178:106008. [PMID: 36690304 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
We explore how functional genomics approaches that integrate datasets from human and non-human model systems can improve our understanding of the effect of gene-environment interplay on the risk for mental disorders. We start by briefly defining the G-E paradigm and its challenges and then discuss the different levels of regulation of gene expression and the corresponding data existing in humans (genome wide genotyping, transcriptomics, DNA methylation, chromatin modifications, chromosome conformational changes, non-coding RNAs, proteomics and metabolomics), discussing novel approaches to the application of these data in the study of the origins of mental health. Finally, we discuss the multilevel integration of diverse types of data. Advance in the use of functional genomics in the context of a G-E perspective improves the detection of vulnerabilities, informing the development of preventive and therapeutic interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Pelufo Silveira
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Michael J Meaney
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Translational Neuroscience Program, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore; Brain - Body Initiative, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Apsley AT, Etzel L, Hastings WJ, Heim CC, Noll JG, O'Donnell KJ, Schreier HMC, Shenk CE, Ye Q, Shalev I. Investigating the effects of maltreatment and acute stress on the concordance of blood and DNA methylation methods of estimating immune cell proportions. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:33. [PMID: 36855187 PMCID: PMC9976543 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01437-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune cell proportions can be used to detect pathophysiological states and are also critical covariates in genomic analyses. The complete blood count (CBC) is the most common method of immune cell proportion estimation, but immune cell proportions can also be estimated using whole-genome DNA methylation (DNAm). Although the concordance of CBC and DNAm estimations has been validated in various adult and clinical populations, less is known about the concordance of existing estimators among stress-exposed individuals. As early life adversity and acute psychosocial stress have both been associated with unique DNAm alterations, the concordance of CBC and DNAm immune cell proportion needs to be validated in various states of stress. RESULTS We report the correlation and concordance between CBC and DNAm estimates of immune cell proportions using the Illumina EPIC DNAm array within two unique studies: Study 1, a high-risk pediatric cohort of children oversampled for exposure to maltreatment (N = 365, age 8 to 14 years), and Study 2, a sample of young adults who have participated in an acute laboratory stressor with four pre- and post-stress measurements (N = 28, number of observations = 100). Comparing CBC and DNAm proportions across both studies, estimates of neutrophils (r = 0.948, p < 0.001), lymphocytes (r = 0.916, p < 0.001), and eosinophils (r = 0.933, p < 0.001) were highly correlated, while monocyte estimates were moderately correlated (r = 0.766, p < 0.001) and basophil estimates were weakly correlated (r = 0.189, p < 0.001). In Study 1, we observed significant deviations in raw values between the two approaches for some immune cell subtypes; however, the observed differences were not significantly predicted by exposure to child maltreatment. In Study 2, while significant changes in immune cell proportions were observed in response to acute psychosocial stress for both CBC and DNAm estimates, the observed changes were similar for both approaches. CONCLUSIONS Although significant differences in immune cell proportion estimates between CBC and DNAm exist, as well as stress-induced changes in immune cell proportions, neither child maltreatment nor acute psychosocial stress alters the concordance of CBC and DNAm estimation methods. These results suggest that the agreement between CBC and DNAm estimators of immune cell proportions is robust to exposure to child maltreatment and acute psychosocial stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abner T Apsley
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Integrated Biosciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Laura Etzel
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Waylon J Hastings
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Christine C Heim
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, and Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Institute of Medical Psychology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jennie G Noll
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Kieran J O'Donnell
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Hannah M C Schreier
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Chad E Shenk
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Qiaofeng Ye
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Idan Shalev
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Chang JJ, Li Q, Li YH, Yuan MY, Zhang TT, Wang GF, Su PY. Bullying and sleep disturbance are mediators between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms. JOURNAL OF APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appdev.2023.101516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
|
29
|
Laricchiuta D, Panuccio A, Picerni E, Biondo D, Genovesi B, Petrosini L. The body keeps the score: The neurobiological profile of traumatized adolescents. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 145:105033. [PMID: 36610696 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Trauma-related disorders are debilitating psychiatric conditions that affect people who have directly or indirectly witnessed adversities. Experiencing multiple types of traumas appears to be common during childhood, and even more so during adolescence. Dramatic brain/body transformations occurring during adolescence may provide a highly responsive substrate to external stimuli and lead to trauma-related vulnerability conditions, such as internalizing (anxiety, depression, anhedonia, withdrawal) and externalizing (aggression, delinquency, conduct disorders) problems. Analyzing relations among neuronal, endocrine, immune, and biochemical signatures of trauma and internalizing and externalizing behaviors, including the role of personality traits in shaping these conducts, this review highlights that the marked effects of traumatic experience on the brain/body involve changes at nearly every level of analysis, from brain structure, function and connectivity to endocrine and immune systems, from gene expression (including in the gut) to the development of personality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Laricchiuta
- Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences & Education, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Anna Panuccio
- Laboratory of Experimental and Behavioral Neurophysiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Department of Psychology, University Sapienza of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Eleonora Picerni
- Laboratory of Experimental and Behavioral Neurophysiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Department of Neuroscience Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | | | | | - Laura Petrosini
- Laboratory of Experimental and Behavioral Neurophysiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Perret LC, Geoffroy MC, Barr E, Parnet F, Provencal N, Boivin M, O’Donnell KJ, Suderman M, Power C, Turecki G, Ouellet-Morin I. Associations between epigenetic aging and childhood peer victimization, depression, and suicidal ideation in adolescence and adulthood: A study of two population-based samples. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 10:1051556. [PMID: 36712964 PMCID: PMC9879289 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1051556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Prior studies indicate that peer victimization (including bullying) is associated with higher risk for depression and suicidal ideation across the life course. However, molecular mechanisms underlying these associations remain unclear. This two-cohort study proposes to test whether epigenetic aging and pace of aging, as well as a DNA methylation marker of responsive to glucocorticoids, are associated to childhood peer victimization and later depressive symptoms, or suicidal ideation. Methods: Cohort 1: Epigenome-wide DNA methylation (EPIC array) was measured in saliva collected when participants were 10.47 years (standard deviation = 0.35) in a subsample of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD, n = 149 participants), with self-reported peer victimization at 6-8 years, depressive symptoms (mean symptoms, and dichotomized top 30% symptoms) and suicidal ideation at 15-17 years. Cohort 2: Epigenome-wide DNA methylation (EPIC array) was measured in blood collected from participants aged 45.13 years (standard deviation = 0.37) in a subsample of the 1958 British Birth cohort (1958BBC, n = 238 participants) with information on mother-reported peer victimization at 7-11 years, self-reported depressive symptoms at 50 years, and suicidal ideation at 45 years. Five epigenetic indices were derived: three indicators of epigenetic aging [Horvath's pan-tissue (Horvath1), Horvath's Skin-and-Blood (Horvath2), Pediatric-Buccal-Epigenetic age (PedBE)], pace of aging (DunedinPACE), and stress response reactivity (Epistress). Results: Peer victimization was not associated with the epigenetic indices in either cohort. In the QLSCD, higher PedBE epigenetic aging and a slower pace of aging as measured by DunedinPACE predicted higher depressive symptoms scores. In contrast, neither the Horvath1, or Horvath2 epigenetic age estimates, nor the Epistress score were associated with depressive symptoms in either cohort, and none of the epigenetic indices predicted suicidal ideation. Conclusion: The findings are consistent with epigenome-wide and candidate gene studies suggesting that these epigenetic indices did not relate to peer victimization, challenging the hypothesis that cumulative epigenetic aging indices could translate vulnerability to depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation following peer victimization. Since some indices of epigenetic aging and pace of aging signaled higher risk for depressive symptoms, future studies should pursue this investigation to further evaluate the robustness and generalization of these preliminary findings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L. C. Perret
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - M-C. Geoffroy
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada,Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - E. Barr
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - F. Parnet
- School of Criminology, Research Center of the Montreal Mental Health University Institute, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - N. Provencal
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - M. Boivin
- School of Psychology, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - K. J. O’Donnell
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada,Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States,Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States,Child and Brain Development Program, CIFAR, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - M. Suderman
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Bristol Medical School, Bristol Population Health Science Institute, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - C. Power
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - G. Turecki
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - I. Ouellet-Morin
- School of Criminology, Research Center of the Montreal Mental Health University Institute, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada,*Correspondence: I. Ouellet-Morin,
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
He Q, Lian C, Peng S, Chen H, Kang Q, Chen J. Hypermethylation of the serotonin transporter gene and paternal parenting styles in untreated anorexia nervosa patients: A pilot study. Heliyon 2023; 9:e12635. [PMID: 36747546 PMCID: PMC9898629 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose It has been reported that serotonergic systems and parenting styles are involved in the pathogenesis of anorexia nervosa (AN). The present study made attempts to examine the DNA methylation profiles in the promoter region of serotonin transporter (5-HTT) encoding gene SLC6A4, and explore the association between the methylation level and severity of symptoms, 5-HTT linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) genotypes and parenting styles in untreated Chinese Han AN patients. Methods Ninety-one untreated female AN patients (ANs) and eighty-seven matched healthy controls (HCs) were analyzed for DNA methylation status at CpG islands in the promoter region of SLC6A4 using MassARRY EpiTYPER, and genotypes of 5-HTTLPR using PCR-RFLP. The severity of eating disorder (ED) symptoms was evaluated by body mass index (BMI) and Questionnaire Version of the Eating Disorders Examination (EDE-Q 6.0), and part of participants were assessed parenting styles using the short Chinese Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostra (s-EMBU-C). Results ANs had greater methylation levels at CpG26.27.28, CpG 31.32, and CpG 37 than HCs (P = 0.039, 0.042, 0.018 respectively). A positive association of methylation level at CpG26.27.28 with ED symptoms detected by EDEQ-6.0 was discovered in AN group (r = 0.216, P = 0.047). Methylation level at CpG26.27.28 was showed to be or tend to be positively correlated with the parenting styles of paternal rejection (r = 0.425, P = 0.038) and paternal overprotection (r = 0.362, P = 0.062) in ANs. No significant differences were found in SLC6A4 promoter region methylation levels among 5-HTTLPR genotypes in our samples (P > 0.05) and no interaction effect between 5-HTTLPR genotypes and parenting styles on SLC6A4 promoter region methylation was observed (P > 0.05). Conclusions This study suggested that hypermethylation of SLC6A4 promoter region may be implicated in the pathological mechanisms of untreated Chinese Han female ANs, which is possibly associated with poor parenting styles. This finding may provide a direction for the epigenetic and family treatments for ANs and further investigation with larger samples is warranted.
Collapse
|
32
|
Comtois-Cabana M, Barr E, Provençal N, Ouellet-Morin I. Association between child maltreatment and depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood: The mediating and moderating roles of DNA methylation. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280203. [PMID: 36634080 PMCID: PMC9836296 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Prospective studies suggest that child maltreatment substantially increases the risk for depression in adulthood. However, the mechanisms underlying this association require further elucidation. In recent years, DNA methylation has emerged as a potential mechanism by which maltreatment experiences (a) could partly explain the emergence or aggravation of depressive symptoms (i.e., mediation) and/or (b) could increase (or decrease) the risk for depressive symptoms (i.e., moderation). The present study tested whether the methylation levels of nine candidate genes mediated and/or moderated the association between maltreatment experiences in childhood and depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood. The sample comprised 156 men aged between 18 and 35 years. Maltreatment experiences and depressive symptoms were assessed retrospectively using self-reported questionnaires. Methylation levels of nine candidate genes (COMT, FKBP5, IL6, IL10, MAOA, NR3C1, OXTR, SLC6A3 and SLC6A4), previously reported to be sensitive to early-life stress, were quantified from saliva samples. Maltreatment experiences in childhood were significantly associated with depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood. Both maltreatment experiences and depressive symptoms were associated with the methylation levels of two genomic sites, which cumulatively, but not individually, explained 16% of the association between maltreatment experiences in childhood and depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood. Moreover, maltreatment experiences in childhood interacted with the methylation levels of fourteen genomic sites, which cumulatively, but not individually, modulated the level of depressive symptoms in young male adults who were maltreated as children. However, none of these effects survived multiple testing correction. These findings bring attention to the cumulative effects of DNA methylation measured in several candidate genes on the risk of reporting depressive symptoms following maltreatment experiences in childhood. Nonetheless, future studies need to clarify the robustness of these putative cumulative effects in larger samples and longitudinal cohorts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maude Comtois-Cabana
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Emily Barr
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nadine Provençal
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Isabelle Ouellet-Morin
- School of Criminology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Research Center of the Montreal Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Liu Y, Guo Z, Zhu R, Gou D, Jia PP, Pei DS. An insight into sex-specific neurotoxicity and molecular mechanisms of DEHP: A critical review. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 316:120673. [PMID: 36400143 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Di-2-Ethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP) is often used as an additive in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to give plastics flexibility, which makes DEHP widely used in food packaging, daily necessities, medical equipment, and other products. However, due to the unstable combination of DEHP and polymer, it will migrate to the environment in the materials and eventually contact the human body. It has been recorded that low-dose DEHP will increase neurotoxicity in the nervous system, and the human health effects of DEHP have been paid attention to because of the extensive exposure to DEHP and its high absorption during brain development. In this study, we review the evidence that DEHP exposure is associated with neurodevelopmental abnormalities and neurological diseases based on human epidemiological and animal behavioral studies. Besides, we also summarized the oxidative damage, apoptosis, and signal transduction disorder related to neurobehavioral abnormalities and nerve injury, and described the potential mechanisms of neurotoxicity caused by DEHP. Overall, we found exposure to DEHP during the critical developmental period will increase the risk of neurobehavioral abnormalities, depression, and autism spectrum disorders. This effect is sex-specific and will continue to adulthood and even have an intergenerational effect. However, the research results on the sex-dependence of DEHP neurotoxicity are inconsistent, and there is a lack of systematic mechanisms research as theoretical support. Future investigations need to be carried out in a large-scale population and model organisms to produce more consistent and convincing results. And we emphasize the importance of mechanism research, which can enhance the understanding of the environmental and human health risks of DEHP exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yiyun Liu
- School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhiling Guo
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Ruihong Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dongzhi Gou
- School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Pan-Pan Jia
- School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - De-Sheng Pei
- School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Cooke EM, Connolly EJ, Boisvert DL, Hayes BE. A Systematic Review of the Biological Correlates and Consequences of Childhood Maltreatment and Adverse Childhood Experiences. TRAUMA, VIOLENCE & ABUSE 2023; 24:156-173. [PMID: 34105421 DOI: 10.1177/15248380211021613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment (CM) and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are two primary forms of interpersonal victimization that have been associated with a host of deleterious health outcomes. Studies over the past decade have begun to use a range of biologically informed methods to better understand the role biology plays in the relationship between CM, ACEs, and later life outcomes. This line of research has shown that both forms of victimization occur at sensitive periods of development, which can increase the likelihood of "getting under the skin" and influence health and behavior across the life course. This review examines the current state of knowledge on this hypothesis. One hundred and ninety-nine studies are included in this systematic review based on criteria that they be written in English, use a biologically informed method, and be conducted on samples of humans. Results reveal that latent additive genetic influences, biological system functioning captured by biomarkers, polygenic risk scores, and neurobiological factors are commonly associated with exposure and response to CM and ACEs. The implication of these findings for the existing body of research on early life victimization and recommendations for future research and policy are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric M Cooke
- Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, 4038Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, USA
| | - Eric J Connolly
- Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, 4038Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, USA
| | - Danielle L Boisvert
- Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, 4038Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, USA
| | - Brittany E Hayes
- School of Criminal Justice, 2514University of Cincinnati, OH, USA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Mumford EA, Taylor BG, Borowiecki M, Maitra P. Daily Reports of Aggressive Behaviors in Interpersonal Conflicts. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2022; 37:NP21850-NP21874. [PMID: 34961387 DOI: 10.1177/08862605211063003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Interpersonal conflicts are inevitable, but the probability that conflicts involve aggressive behavior varies. Prior research that has tended to focus on victimization in intimate partnerships reported through retrospective designs. Addressing these limitations, the current study examines daily reports of behaving aggressively in any conflict across relationships in a sample of 512 young adults drawn from the nationally representative iCOR cohort. Respondent attitudes and affective measures were collected at the end of the daily data collection period. Regression methods were applied to examine the probability and frequency of aggression, investigating early and recent exposure to adversities, attitudes, self-control, affect and emotional states, and alcohol use behavior. Recent adversities and the propensity to endorse a defensive honor code attitude, consistent with theory and retrospective studies of aggression, predicted both prevalence and frequency of aggressive behavior. The associations of childhood maltreatment and self-control with the prevalence of behaving aggressively were as expected, but these constructs were significantly associated with the frequency of aggression with unexpected, inverse directionality. Moreover, respondents' affect and other emotional states were only associated with the frequency, not the prevalence, of aggressive behavior. Overall, this daily data collection constructively distinguished risk and protective factors for behaving aggressively more often. Further research is needed to disentangle the extent to which affective states drive or is a consequence of frequent aggressive behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Mumford
- Statistics and Data Science, NORC at the University of Chicago, Bethesda, MA, USA
| | - Bruce G Taylor
- Statistics and Data Science, NORC at the University of Chicago, Bethesda, MA, USA
| | - Mateusz Borowiecki
- Statistics and Data Science, NORC at the University of Chicago, Bethesda, MA, USA
| | - Poulami Maitra
- Statistics and Data Science, NORC at the University of Chicago, Bethesda, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Childhood Trauma and Epigenetics: State of the Science and Future. Curr Environ Health Rep 2022; 9:661-672. [PMID: 36242743 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-022-00381-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW There is a great deal of interest regarding the biological embedding of childhood trauma and social exposures through epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation (DNAm), but a comprehensive understanding has been hindered by issues of limited reproducibility between studies. This review presents a summary of the literature on childhood trauma and DNAm, highlights issues in the field, and proposes some potential solutions. RECENT FINDINGS Investigations of the associations between DNAm and childhood trauma are commonly performed using candidate gene approaches, specifically involving genes related to neurological and stress pathways. Childhood trauma is defined in a wide range of ways in several societal contexts. However, although variations in DNAm are frequently found in stress-related genes, unsupervised epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) have shown limited reproducibility both between studies and in relating these changes to exposures. The reproducibility of childhood trauma DNAm studies, and the field of social epigenetics in general, may be improved by increasing sample sizes, standardizing variables, making use of effect size thresholds, collecting longitudinal and intervention samples, appropriately accounting for known confounding factors, and applying causal analysis wherever possible, such as "two-step epigenetic Mendelian randomization."
Collapse
|
37
|
Lampe A, Nolte T, Schmid M, Kampling H, Kruse J, Grote V, Fischer MJ, Riedl D. Gender-Specific Significance of Peer Abuse during Childhood and Adolescence on Physical and Mental Health in Adulthood-Results from a Cross-Sectional Study in a Sample of Hospital Patients. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:15986. [PMID: 36498082 PMCID: PMC9736011 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192315986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Peer abuse (PA) is a widespread and gender-sensitive form of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). However, research on its influence on physical and mental health in adulthood remains scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate gender-specific associations between PA and physical and mental health in adulthood in a sample of general hospital patients. A cross-sectional study at the University Hospital of Innsbruck was conducted. Data on ACEs, physical and mental health were collected using self-report questionnaires. We compared patients with no ACEs, PA only, ACEs without PA, and ACEs with PA using gender-specific binary logistic regressions to investigate the association of PA with physical and mental health. A total of 2,392 patients were included in the analyses. Women reported more emotional PA (13.1% vs. 9.4%; p = 0.006), while men reported more physical PA (8.3% vs. 5.2%; p = 0.003). PA was associated with a higher likelihood for depression (OR = 2.6), somatization (OR = 2.1), as well as worse physical health (OR = 2.1) in women but not in men. This study is the first to present data on the gender-specific detrimental effect of PA on physical and mental health in adulthood. Especially for women, PA poses a significant health risk. Thus, we should be aware of these effects and offer adequate support for affected individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Lampe
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rehabilitation Research, 1100 Vienna, Austria
- VAMED Rehabilitation Center, 6780 Schruns, Austria
| | - Tobias Nolte
- Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
- Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, London N1 9JH, UK
| | - Marc Schmid
- Research Department for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Hospitals Basel, University of Basel, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hanna Kampling
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35390 Giessen, Germany
| | - Johannes Kruse
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35390 Giessen, Germany
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Center of the Philipps University Marburg, 35037 Marburg, Germany
| | - Vincent Grote
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rehabilitation Research, 1100 Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael J. Fischer
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rehabilitation Research, 1100 Vienna, Austria
- VAMED Rehabilitation Center Kitzbuehel, 6370 Kitzbuehel, Austria
| | - David Riedl
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rehabilitation Research, 1100 Vienna, Austria
- University Hospital of Psychiatry II, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Lloyd S, Larivée A, Lutz PE. Homeorhesis: envisaging the logic of life trajectories in molecular research on trauma and its effects. HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE LIFE SCIENCES 2022; 44:65. [PMID: 36417009 DOI: 10.1007/s40656-022-00542-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
What sets someone on a life trajectory? This question is at the heart of studies of 21st-century neurosciences that build on scientific models developed over the last 150 years that attempt to link psychopathology risk and human development. Historically, this research has documented persistent effects of singular, negative life experiences on people's subsequent development. More recently, studies have documented neuromolecular effects of early life adversity on life trajectories, resulting in models that frame lives as disproportionately affected by early negative experiences. This view is dominant, despite little evidence of the stability of the presumably early-developed molecular traits and their potential effects on phenotypes. We argue that in the context of gaps in knowledge and the need for scientists to reason across molecular and phenotypic scales, as well as time spans that can extend beyond an individual's life, specific interpretative frameworks shape the ways in which individual scientific findings are assessed. In the process, scientific reasoning oscillates between understandings of cellular homeostasis and organisms' homeorhesis, or life trajectory. Biologist and historian François Jacob described this framework as the "attitude" that researchers bring to bear on their "objects" of study. Through an analysis of, first, historical and contemporary scientific literature and then ethnographic research with neuroscientists, we consider how early life trauma came to be associated with specific psychological and neurobiological effects grounded in understandings of life trajectories. We conclude with a consideration of the conceptual, ontological, and ethical implications of interpreting life trajectories as the result of the persistence of long-embodied biological traits, persistent life environments, or both.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Lloyd
- Department of Anthropology, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada.
| | - Alexandre Larivée
- Department of Anthropology, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Pierre-Eric Lutz
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives UPR3212, Université de Strasbourg, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Cecil CAM, Nigg JT. Epigenetics and ADHD: Reflections on Current Knowledge, Research Priorities and Translational Potential. Mol Diagn Ther 2022; 26:581-606. [PMID: 35933504 PMCID: PMC7613776 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-022-00609-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common and debilitating neurodevelopmental disorder influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, typically identified in the school-age years but hypothesized to have developmental origins beginning in utero. To improve current strategies for prediction, prevention and treatment, a central challenge is to delineate how, at a molecular level, genetic and environmental influences jointly shape ADHD risk, phenotypic presentation, and developmental course. Epigenetic processes that regulate gene expression, such as DNA methylation, have emerged as a promising molecular system in the search for both biomarkers and mechanisms to address this challenge. In this Current Opinion, we discuss the relevance of epigenetics (specifically DNA methylation) for ADHD research and clinical practice, starting with the current state of knowledge, what challenges we have yet to overcome, and what the future may hold in terms of methylation-based applications for personalized medicine in ADHD. We conclude that the field of epigenetics and ADHD is promising but is still in its infancy, and the potential for transformative translational applications remains a distant goal. Nevertheless, rapid methodological advances, together with the rise of collaborative science and increased availability of high-quality, longitudinal data make this a thriving research area that in future may contribute to the development of new tools for improved prediction, management, and treatment of ADHD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte A M Cecil
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
- Molecular Epidemiology, Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Joel T Nigg
- Division of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Lussier AA, Zhu Y, Smith BJ, Simpkin AJ, Smith AD, Suderman MJ, Walton E, Ressler KJ, Dunn EC. Updates to data versions and analytic methods influence the reproducibility of results from epigenome-wide association studies. Epigenetics 2022; 17:1373-1388. [PMID: 35156895 PMCID: PMC9601563 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2022.2028072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomedical research has grown increasingly cooperative through the sharing of consortia-level epigenetic data. Since consortia preprocess data prior to distribution, new processing pipelines can lead to different versions of the same dataset. Similarly, analytic frameworks evolve to incorporate cutting-edge methods and best practices. However, it remains unknown how different data and analytic versions alter the results of epigenome-wide analyses, which could influence the replicability of epigenetic associations. Thus, we assessed the impact of these changes using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort. We analysed DNA methylation from two data versions, processed using separate preprocessing and analytic pipelines, examining associations between seven childhood adversities or prenatal smoking exposure and DNA methylation at age 7. We performed two sets of analyses: (1) epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS); (2) Structured Life Course Modelling Approach (SLCMA), a two-stage method that models time-dependent effects. SLCMA results were also compared across two analytic versions. Data version changes impacted both EWAS and SLCMA analyses, yielding different associations at conventional p-value thresholds. However, the magnitude and direction of associations was generally consistent between data versions, regardless of p-values. Differences were especially apparent in analyses of childhood adversity, while smoking associations were more consistent using significance thresholds. SLCMA analytic versions similarly altered top associations, but time-dependent effects remained concordant. Alterations to data and analytic versions influenced the results of epigenome-wide analyses. Our findings highlight that magnitude and direction are better measures for replication and stability than p-value thresholds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre A. Lussier
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yiwen Zhu
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brooke J. Smith
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrew J. Simpkin
- School of Mathematics,Statistics and Applied Mathematics, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | - Andrew D.A.C. Smith
- Mathematics and Statistics Research Group, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK
| | - Matthew J. Suderman
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Esther Walton
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Kerry J. Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Erin C. Dunn
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Zhu Y, Lussier AA, Smith ADAC, Simpkin AJ, Suderman MJ, Walton E, Relton CL, Dunn EC. Examining the epigenetic mechanisms of childhood adversity and sensitive periods: A gene set-based approach. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 144:105854. [PMID: 35914392 PMCID: PMC9885844 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sensitive periods are developmental stages of heightened plasticity when life experiences, including exposure to childhood adversity, have the potential to exert more lasting impacts. Epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation (DNAm), may provide a pathway through which adversity induces long-term biological changes. DNAm shifts may be more likely to occur during sensitive periods, especially within genes that regulate the timing of sensitive periods. Here, we investigated the possibility that childhood adversity during specific life stages is associated with DNAm changes in genes known to regulate the timing and duration of sensitive periods. METHODS Genome-wide DNAm profiles came from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (n = 785). We first used principal component analysis (PCA) to summarize DNAm variation across 530 CpG sites mapped to the promoters of 58 genes previously-identified as regulating sensitive periods. Gene-level DNAm summaries were calculated for genes regulating sensitive period opening (ngenes = 15), closing (ngenes = 36), and expression (ngenes = 8). We then performed linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to test associations between seven types of parent-reported, time-varying measures of exposure to childhood adversity and DNAm principal components. To our knowledge, this is the first time LDA has been applied to analyze functionally grouped DNAm data to characterize associations between an environmental exposure and epigenetic differences. RESULTS Suggestive evidence emerged for associations between sexual or physical abuse as well as financial hardship during middle childhood, and DNAm of genetic pathways regulating sensitive period opening and expression. However, no statistically significant associations were identified after multiple testing correction. CONCLUSIONS Our gene set-based method combining PCA and LDA complements epigenome-wide approaches. Although our results were largely null, these findings provide a proof-of-concept for studying time-varying exposures and gene- or pathway-level epigenetic modifications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Zhu
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States.
| | - Alexandre A Lussier
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Andrew D A C Smith
- Mathematics and Statistics Research Group, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK
| | - Andrew J Simpkin
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Applied Mathematics, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | - Matthew J Suderman
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Esther Walton
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Caroline L Relton
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Erin C Dunn
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States; Harvard Center on the Developing Child, Cambridge, MA, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Rajindrajith S, Devanarayana NM, Benninga MA. Childhood constipation: Current status, challenges, and future perspectives. World J Clin Pediatr 2022; 11:385-404. [PMID: 36185096 PMCID: PMC9516492 DOI: 10.5409/wjcp.v11.i5.385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Constipation in children is a major health issue around the world, with a global prevalence of 9.5%. They present to clinicians with a myriad of clinical signs. The Rome IV symptom-based criteria are used to diagnose functional constipation. Functional constipation is also a huge financial burden for healthcare system and has a detrimental impact on health-related quality of life of children. There are various risk factors identified globally, including centrally connected factors such as child abuse, emotional and behavioral issues, and psychological stress. Constipation is also precipitated by a low-fiber diet, physical inactivity, and an altered intestinal microbiome. The main pathophysiological mechanism is stool withholding, while altered rectal function, anal sphincter, pelvic floor, and colonic dysfunction also play important roles. Clinical evaluation is critical in making a diagnosis, and most investigations are only required in refractory patients. In the treatment of childhood constipation, both nonpharmacological (education and de-mystification, dietary changes, toilet training, behavioral interventions, biofeedback, and pelvic floor physiotherapy), and pharmacological (osmotic and stimulant laxatives and novel drugs like prucalopride and lubiprostone) interventions are used. For children with refractory constipation, transanal irrigation, botulinum toxin, neuromodulation, and surgical treatments are reserved. While frequent use of probiotics is still in the experimental stage, healthy dietary habits, living a healthy lifestyle and limiting exposure to stressful events, are all beneficial preventive measures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shaman Rajindrajith
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo 00800, Sri Lanka
- University Paediatric Unit, Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, Colombo 00800, Sri Lanka
| | | | - Marc A Benninga
- Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Emma Children Hospital, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam 1105AZ, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Kampling H, Kruse J, Lampe A, Nolte T, Hettich N, Brähler E, Sachser C, Fegert JM, Gingelmaier S, Fonagy P, Krakau L, Zara S, Riedl D. Epistemic trust and personality functioning mediate the association between adverse childhood experiences and posttraumatic stress disorder and complex posttraumatic stress disorder in adulthood. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:919191. [PMID: 36032256 PMCID: PMC9399466 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.919191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with posttraumatic and complex posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in adulthood (PTSD/cPTSD), as well as reduced epistemic trust (trust in the authenticity and personal relevance of interpersonally transmitted information) and impaired personality functioning. The present work aims to investigate the predictive value of epistemic trust-the capacity for social learning-on the mediating effect of personality functioning in the association of ACEs and PTSD/cPTSD. Methods We conducted structural equation modeling (SEM) based on representative data of the German population (N = 2,004). Personality functioning (OPD-SQS) was applied as a mediator between ACEs and PTSD/cPTSD (ITQ), while epistemic trust (ETMCQ) was added as predictor for OPD-SQS. TLI, CFI, and RMSEA (95%-CI) determined the models' fit. Results N = 477 (23.8%) participants reported at least one ACE and n = 218 (10.9%) reported ≥4 ACEs. Fit indices were good for both PTSD (TLI = 0.96; CFI = 0.99; RMSEA = 0.06; 95%CI: 0.041-0.078) and cPTSD (TLI = 0.96; CFI = 0.99; RMSEA = 0.06; 95%CI: 0.043-0.081). ACEs were significantly associated with cPTSD (β = 0.44, p < 0.001) and PTSD (β = 0.29, p < 0.001), explaining 20 and 8% of its variance. Adding personality functioning as a mediator increased the explained variance of cPTSD and PTSD to 47 and 19% while the direct association between ACEs and cPTSD/PTSD decreased (β = 0.21/β = 0.17), thus, indicating a partial mediation. Including epistemic trust substantially increased the explained variance for personality functioning (41%) compared to ACEs as a single predictor (16%). Conclusion We add to previous research emphasizing the association between ACEs and PTSD/cPTSD symptoms. Offering insights on underlying mechanisms, we show that epistemic trust and personality functioning are relevant mediators. Since both are modifiable by psychotherapy, knowledge about the role of these constructs can inform research on psychotherapeutic interventions and prevention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Kampling
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Johannes Kruse
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Center of the Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Astrid Lampe
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rehabilitation Research, Vienna, Austria
- VAMED Rehabilitation Center, Schruns, Austria
| | - Tobias Nolte
- Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, London, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nora Hettich
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Elmar Brähler
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Behavioral Medicine Research Unit, Integrated Research and Treatment Center for Adiposity Diseases, University Medical Center Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Cedric Sachser
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jörg M. Fegert
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Stephan Gingelmaier
- Psychology and Diagnostics for Emotional and Social Development for the Emotionally Impaired, University of Education Ludwigsburg, Ludwigsburg, Germany
| | - Peter Fonagy
- Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lina Krakau
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Sandra Zara
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - David Riedl
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rehabilitation Research, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
van den Oord CLJD, Copeland WE, Zhao M, Xie LY, Aberg KA, van den Oord EJCG. DNA methylation signatures of childhood trauma predict psychiatric disorders and other adverse outcomes 17 years after exposure. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:3367-3373. [PMID: 35546634 PMCID: PMC9649837 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01597-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Childhood trauma is robustly linked to a broad range of adverse outcomes with consequences persisting far into adulthood. We conducted a prospective longitudinal study to predict psychiatric disorders and other adverse outcomes from trauma-related methylation changes 16.9 years after trauma exposure in childhood. Methylation was assayed using a sequencing-based approach that provides near-complete coverage of all 28 million sites in the blood methylome. Methylation data involved 673 assays from 489 participants aged 13.6 years (SD = 1.9) with outcomes measures collected at age 30.4 (SD = 2.26). For a subset of 303 participants we also generated methylation data in adulthood. Trauma-related methylation risk scores (MRSs) significantly predicted adult depression, externalizing problems, nicotine dependence, alcohol use disorder, serious medical problems, social problems and poverty. The predictive power of the MRSs was higher than that of reported trauma and could not be explained by the reported trauma, correlations with demographic variables, or a continuity of the predicted health problems from childhood to adulthood. Rather than measuring the occurrence of traumatic events, the MRSs seemed to capture the subject-specific impact of trauma. The majority of predictive sites did not remain associated with the outcomes suggesting the signatures of trauma do not become biologically embedded in the blood methylome. Instead, the long-term effects of trauma therefore seemed more consistent with a developmental mechanism where the initial subject-specific impacts of trauma are magnified over time. The MRSs have the potential to be a novel clinical biomarker for the assessment of trauma-related health risks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charlie LJD van den Oord
- Center for Biomarker Research and Precision Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - William E. Copeland
- Vermont Center for Children, Youth, and Families, Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont Medical Center, Burlington.,Duke University Medical Center, Durham
| | - Min Zhao
- Center for Biomarker Research and Precision Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Lin Ying Xie
- Center for Biomarker Research and Precision Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Karolina A. Aberg
- Center for Biomarker Research and Precision Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Edwin JCG van den Oord
- Center for Biomarker Research and Precision Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Sensation-seeking-related DNA methylation and the development of delinquency: A longitudinal epigenome-wide study. Dev Psychopathol 2022; 35:791-799. [PMID: 35734807 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579422000049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Heightened sensation-seeking is related to the development of delinquency. Moreover, sensation-seeking, or biological correlates of sensation-seeking, are suggested as factors linking victimization to delinquency. Here, we focused on epigenetic correlates of sensation-seeking. First, we identified DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns related to sensation-seeking. Second, we investigated the association between sensation-seeking related DNAm and the development of delinquency. Third, we examined whether victimization was related to sensation-seeking related DNAm and the development of delinquency. Participants (N = 905; 49% boys) came from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. DNAm was assessed at birth, age 7 and age 15-17. Sensation-seeking (self-reports) was assessed at age 11 and 14. Delinquency (self-reports) was assessed at age 17-19. Sensation-seeking epigenome-wide association study revealed that no probes reached the critical significance level. However, 20 differential methylated probes reached marginal significance. With these 20 suggestive sites, a sensation-seeking cumulative DNAm risk score was created. Results showed that this DNAm risk score at age 15-17 was related to delinquency at age 17-19. Moreover, an indirect effect of victimization to delinquency via DNAm was found. Sensation-seeking related DNAm is a potential biological correlate that can help to understand the development of delinquency, including how victimization might be associated with adolescent delinquency.
Collapse
|
46
|
Stagaki M, Nolte T, Feigenbaum J, King-Casas B, Lohrenz T, Fonagy P, Montague PR. The mediating role of attachment and mentalising in the relationship between childhood maltreatment, self-harm and suicidality. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2022; 128:105576. [PMID: 35313127 PMCID: PMC10466023 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 01/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although the relationship between childhood maltreatment, self-harm and suicidality is well-established, less is known about the mediating mechanisms explaining it. Based on a developmental mentalisation-based theoretical framework, childhood adversity compromises mentalising ability and attachment security, which in turn increase vulnerability to later stressors in adulthood. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the role of attachment and mentalising as potential mechanisms in the relationship between childhood maltreatment, self-harm and suicidality. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING We recruited 907 adults from clinical and community settings in Greater London. METHODS The study design was cross-sectional. Participants completed self-report questionnaires on retrospectively rated childhood trauma, and current attachment to the romantic partner, mentalising, self-harm, suicidal ideation and attempt. We used structural equation modelling to examine the data and conceptualized childhood maltreatment as a general factor in a confirmatory bifactor model. RESULTS The results showed that childhood maltreatment was both directly associated with self-harm and suicidality and indirectly via the pathways of attachment and mentalising. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that insecure attachment and impaired mentalising partially explain the association between childhood maltreatment, self-harm and suicidality. Clinically, they provide support for the potential of mentalisation-based therapy or other psychosocial interventions that aim to mitigate the risk of self-harm and suicidality among individuals who have experienced childhood maltreatment via increasing understanding of self and other mental states.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Stagaki
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Tobias Nolte
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, London, United Kingdom
| | - Janet Feigenbaum
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Brooks King-Casas
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, United States of America
| | - Terry Lohrenz
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, United States of America
| | - Peter Fonagy
- Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, London, United Kingdom; Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - P Read Montague
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, United States of America; Department of Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
An epigenetic association analysis of childhood trauma in psychosis reveals possible overlap with methylation changes associated with PTSD. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:177. [PMID: 35501310 PMCID: PMC9061740 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01936-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with a severe mental disorder report significantly higher levels of childhood trauma (CT) than healthy individuals. Studies have suggested that CT may affect brain plasticity through epigenetic mechanisms and contribute to developing various psychiatric disorders. We performed a blood-based epigenome-wide association study using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-short form in 602 patients with a current severe mental illness, investigating DNA methylation association separately for five trauma subtypes and the total trauma score. The median trauma score was set as the predefined cutoff for determining whether the trauma was present or not. Additionally, we compared our genome-wide results with methylation probes annotated to candidate genes previously associated with CT. Of the patients, 83.2% reported CT above the cutoff in one or more trauma subtypes, and emotional neglect was the trauma subtype most frequently reported. We identified one significant differently methylated position associated with the gene TANGO6 for physical neglect. Seventeen differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were associated with different trauma categories. Several of these DMRs were annotated to genes previously associated with neuropsychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and cognitive impairments. Our results support a biomolecular association between CT and severe mental disorders. Genes that were previously identified as differentially methylated in CT-exposed subjects with and without psychosis did not show methylation differences in our analysis. We discuss this inconsistency, the relevance of our findings, and the limitations of our study.
Collapse
|
48
|
Sumner JA, Gambazza S, Gao X, Baccarelli AA, Uddin M, McLaughlin KA. Epigenetics of early-life adversity in youth: cross-sectional and longitudinal associations. Clin Epigenetics 2022; 14:48. [PMID: 35395780 PMCID: PMC8994405 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-022-01269-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Altered DNA methylation (DNAm) may be one pathway through which early-life adversity (ELA) contributes to adverse mental and physical health outcomes. This study investigated whether the presence versus absence of ELA experiences reflecting the dimensions of threat and deprivation were associated with epigenome-wide DNAm cross-sectionally and longitudinally in a community-based sample of children and adolescents. METHODS In 113 youths aged 8-16 years with wide variability in ELA, we examined associations of abuse (physical, sexual, emotional; indicating threat-related experiences) and neglect (emotional, physical; indicating deprivation-related experiences) with DNAm assessed with the Illumina EPIC BeadChip array, with DNA derived from saliva. In cross-sectional epigenome-wide analyses, we investigated associations of lifetime abuse and neglect with DNAm at baseline. In longitudinal epigenome-wide analyses, we examined whether experiencing abuse and neglect over an approximately 2-year follow-up were each associated with change in DNAm from baseline to follow-up. RESULTS In cross-sectional analyses adjusting for lifetime experience of neglect, lifetime experience of abuse was associated with DNAm for four cytosine-phosphodiester-guanine (CpG) sites (cg20241299: coefficient = 0.023, SE = 0.004; cg08671764: coefficient = 0.018, SE = 0.003; cg27152686: coefficient = - 0.069, SE = 0.012; cg24241897: coefficient = - 0.003, SE = 0.001; FDR < .05). In longitudinal analyses, experiencing neglect over follow-up was associated with an increase in DNAm for one CpG site, adjusting for abuse over follow-up (cg03135983: coefficient = 0.036, SE = 0.006; FDR < .05). CONCLUSIONS In this study, we identified examples of epigenetic patterns associated with ELA experiences of threat and deprivation that were already observable in youth. We provide novel evidence for change in DNAm over time in relation to ongoing adversity and that experiences reflecting distinct ELA dimensions may be characterized by unique epigenetic patterns.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A. Sumner
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Psychology Building 1285, Box 951563, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563 USA
| | - Simone Gambazza
- grid.4708.b0000 0004 1757 2822Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy ,grid.414818.00000 0004 1757 8749Healthcare Professions Department, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Xu Gao
- grid.21729.3f0000000419368729Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY USA ,grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Andrea A. Baccarelli
- grid.21729.3f0000000419368729Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY USA
| | - Monica Uddin
- grid.170693.a0000 0001 2353 285XGenomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL USA
| | - Katie A. McLaughlin
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Terrazas J, Blitchtein D. Rural-urban migration as a factor associated with physical and sexual intimate partner violence Peru 2015-2017: a secondary analysis of a national study. BMC Womens Health 2022; 22:67. [PMID: 35279158 PMCID: PMC8918341 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-022-01648-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Internal migration, a consequence of the demographic transition towards urbanization driven by globalization, represents a particular public health challenge. Change in residence from one sociocultural geographic context to another, with not only economic implications, but also changes in women’s long-established relationships of family interdependence, influences gender relations and can influence Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) against women. Different migratory trajectories may be related to IPV. The aim of this study was to identify the association between internal migration and physical and/or sexual violence against women in the last 12 months. Methods A secondary analytical cross-sectional analysis of the publicly accessible 2015–2017 Demographic and Family Health Survey (DHS) was performed. The outcome variable was reported physical and/or sexual violence inflicted by the partner (IPV) during the last 12 months. Exposure variable was internal migration, operationalized from three questions: current place of residence, principal place of residence before 12 years of age and number of years of residence in the current place. Migrants were classified as those who reported having lived for 5 years or more in the current location and were categorized as rural-rural migrants, urban-urban migrants, urban–rural migrants and rural–urban migrants, recent migrants and nonmigrants those who resided in the same place all their lives. To identify the association between internal migration and physical violence, a generalized linear model (GLM) of the family and the log Poisson link log option was used, and the results are presented as prevalence ratios (PRs). A crude model and a model adjusted for confounding variables were performed. Results Rural–urban migrant women had a 15.0% higher probability of experiencing IPV than nonmigrant women (PRa 1.15, 95% CI 1.03–1.29, p = 0.015), while the probability of experiencing IPV in the last 12 months for urban–rural, rural-rural,urban-urban migrantand recent migrant women was not significantly different from that of nonmigrant women. Conclusion Rural–urban migration among women of childbearing age is a factor associated with a higher probability of IPV in the last 12 months. The identification of women with this rural–urban migration pattern could help prioritize those that may experience a greater probability of physical and/or sexual violence in Peru, it must be studied if this pattern is the same in other countries.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Terrazas
- Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Avenida Alameda San Marcos 11, Chorrillos, 15067, Lima, Peru
| | - Dora Blitchtein
- Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Avenida Alameda San Marcos 11, Chorrillos, 15067, Lima, Peru.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Moog NK, Heim CM, Entringer S, Simhan HN, Wadhwa PD, Buss C. Transmission of the adverse consequences of childhood maltreatment across generations: Focus on gestational biology. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2022; 215:173372. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2022.173372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
|