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Beurel E, Nemeroff CB. Early Life Adversity, Microbiome, and Inflammatory Responses. Biomolecules 2024; 14:802. [PMID: 39062516 PMCID: PMC11275239 DOI: 10.3390/biom14070802] [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: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Early life adversity has a profound impact on physical and mental health. Because the central nervous and immune systems are not fully mature at birth and continue to mature during the postnatal period, a bidirectional interaction between the central nervous system and the immune system has been hypothesized, with traumatic stressors during childhood being pivotal in priming individuals for later adult psychopathology. Similarly, the microbiome, which regulates both neurodevelopment and immune function, also matures during childhood, rendering this interaction between the brain and the immune system even more complex. In this review, we provide evidence for the role of the immune response and the microbiome in the deleterious effects of early life adversity, both in humans and rodent models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eléonore Beurel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA;
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Charles B. Nemeroff
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Mulva Clinic for Neurosciences, University of Texas (UT) Dell Medical School, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Mulva Clinic for Neurosciences, UT Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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2
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Creasey N, Leijten P, Overbeek G, Tollenaar MS. Incredible years parenting program buffers prospective association between parent-reported harsh parenting and epigenetic age deceleration in children with externalizing behavior. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 165:107043. [PMID: 38593711 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107043] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Harsh parenting has been shown to increase the risk of physical and mental health problems in later life. To improve our understanding of these risks and how they can be mitigated, we investigated associations of harsh parenting with a clinically relevant biomarker, epigenetic age deviation (EAD), using data from a randomized-control trial of the Incredible Years (IY) parenting program. This study included 281 children aged 4-8 years who were screened for heightened externalizing behavior and whose parents were randomly allocated to either IY or care-as-usual (CAU). Parents reported on their own parenting practices and their child's externalizing behavior at baseline and at a follow-up assessment approximately three years later. Epigenetic age, based on the Pediatric Buccal Epigenetic (PedBE) clock, was estimated from child DNA methylation derived from saliva collected at the follow-up assessment. PedBE clock estimates were regressed on chronological age as a measure of EAD. Moderation analyses using multiple regression revealed that harsher parenting at baseline predicted epigenetic age deceleration in children that received CAU (b = -.21, 95% CI[-0.37, -0.05]), but no association was found in children whose parents were allocated to IY (b = -.02, 95% CI [-0.13, 0.19]). These results highlight a prospective association between harsh parenting and children's EAD and indicate a potential ameliorating effect of preventive intervention. Future work is needed to replicate these findings and understand individual differences in children's responses to harsh parenting in relation to epigenetic aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Creasey
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Clinical, Educational & Health Psychology, Division of Psychology & Language Sciences, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Patty Leijten
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Geertjan Overbeek
- 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, the Netherlands
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3
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Nazzari S, Grumi S, Mambretti F, Villa M, Giorda R, Bordoni M, Pansarasa O, Borgatti R, Provenzi L. Sex-dimorphic pathways in the associations between maternal trait anxiety, infant BDNF methylation, and negative emotionality. Dev Psychopathol 2024; 36:908-918. [PMID: 36855816 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579423000172] [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: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Maternal antenatal anxiety is an emerging risk factor for child emotional development. Both sex and epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, may contribute to the embedding of maternal distress into emotional outcomes. Here, we investigated sex-dependent patterns in the association between antenatal maternal trait anxiety, methylation of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene (BDNF DNAm), and infant negative emotionality (NE). Mother-infant dyads (N = 276) were recruited at delivery. Maternal trait anxiety, as a marker of antenatal chronic stress exposure, was assessed soon after delivery using the Stait-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y). Infants' BDNF DNAm at birth was assessed in 11 CpG sites in buccal cells whereas infants' NE was assessed at 3 (N = 225) and 6 months (N = 189) using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R). Hierarchical linear analyses showed that higher maternal antenatal anxiety was associated with greater 6-month-olds' NE. Furthermore, maternal antenatal anxiety predicted greater infants' BDNF DNAm in five CpG sites in males but not in females. Higher methylation at these sites was associated with greater 3-to-6-month NE increase, independently of infants' sex. Maternal antenatal anxiety emerged as a risk factor for infant's NE. BDNF DNAm might mediate this effect in males. These results may inform the development of strategies to promote mothers and infants' emotional well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Nazzari
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Serena Grumi
- Developmental Psychobiology Lab, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Fabiana Mambretti
- Molecular Biology Lab, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea, Bosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Marco Villa
- Molecular Biology Lab, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea, Bosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Roberto Giorda
- Molecular Biology Lab, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea, Bosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Matteo Bordoni
- Cellular Models and Neuroepigenetics Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Orietta Pansarasa
- Cellular Models and Neuroepigenetics Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Renato Borgatti
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Developmental Psychobiology Lab, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Livio Provenzi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Developmental Psychobiology Lab, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
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Wood EK, Reid BM, Sheerar DS, Donzella B, Gunnar MR, Coe CL. Lingering Effects of Early Institutional Rearing and Cytomegalovirus Infection on the Natural Killer Cell Repertoire of Adopted Adolescents. Biomolecules 2024; 14:456. [PMID: 38672472 PMCID: PMC11047877 DOI: 10.3390/biom14040456] [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: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Adversity during infancy can affect neurobehavioral development and perturb the maturation of physiological systems. Dysregulated immune and inflammatory responses contribute to many of the later effects on health. Whether normalization can occur following a transition to more nurturing, benevolent conditions is unclear. To assess the potential for recovery, blood samples were obtained from 45 adolescents adopted by supportive families after impoverished infancies in institutional settings (post-institutionalized, PI). Their immune profiles were compared to 39 age-matched controls raised by their biological parents (non-adopted, NA). Leukocytes were immunophenotyped, and this analysis focuses on natural killer (NK) cell populations in circulation. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) seropositivity was evaluated to determine if early infection contributed to the impact of an atypical rearing. Associations with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), two cytokines released by activated NK cells, were examined. Compared to the NA controls, PI adolescents had a lower percent of CD56bright NK cells in circulation, higher TNF-α levels, and were more likely to be infected with CMV. PI adolescents who were latent carriers of CMV expressed NKG2C and CD57 surface markers on more NK cells, including CD56dim lineages. The NK cell repertoire revealed lingering immune effects of early rearing while still maintaining an overall integrity and resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth K. Wood
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Brie M. Reid
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA;
| | - Dagna S. Sheerar
- Wisconsin Institute of Medical Research, University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI 53706, USA;
| | - Bonny Donzella
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; (B.D.); (M.R.G.)
| | - Megan R. Gunnar
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; (B.D.); (M.R.G.)
| | - Christopher L. Coe
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 54706, USA;
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Noel ES, Chen A, Peña YA, Honeycutt JA. Early life adversity drives sex-dependent changes in 5-mC DNA methylation of parvalbumin cells in the prefrontal cortex in rats. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.31.578313. [PMID: 38352518 PMCID: PMC10862911 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.31.578313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA) can result in increased risk for developing affective disorders, such as anxiety or depression, later in life, with women showing increased risk. Interactions between an individual's genes and their environment play key roles in producing, as well as mitigating, later life neuropathology. Our current understanding of the underlying epigenomic drivers of ELA associated anxiety and depression are limited, and this stems in part from the complexity of underlying biochemical processes associated with how early experiences shapes later life behavior. Epigenetic alterations, or experience-driven modifications to DNA, can be leveraged to understand the interplay between genes and the environment. The present study characterized DNA methylation patterning, assessed via evaluation of 5-methylcytosine (5-mC), following ELA in a Sprague Dawley rat model of ELA induced by early caregiver deprivation. This study utilized maternal separation to investigate sex- and age-specific outcomes of ELA on epigenetic patterning in parvalbumin (PV)-containing interneurons in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a subpopulation of inhibitory neurons which are associated with ELA and affective dysfunction. While global analysis of 5-mC methylation and CpG site specific pyrosequencing of the PV promoter, Pvalb, showed no obvious effects of ELA, when analyses were restricted to assessing 5-mC intensity in colocalized PV cells, there were significant sex and age dependent effects. We found that ELA leads sex-specific changes in PV cell counts, and that cell counts can be predicted by 5-mC intensity, with males and females showing distinct patterns of methylation and PV outcomes. ELA also produced sex-specific effects in corticosterone reactivity, with juvenile females showing a blunted stress hormone response compared to controls. Overall, ELA led to a sex-specific developmental shift in PV profile, which is comparable to profiles that are seen at a later developmental timepoint, and this shift may be mediated in part by epigenomic alterations driven by altered DNA methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma S Noel
- Program in Biochemistry, Brunswick, ME 04011 USA
| | - Alissa Chen
- Program in Neuroscience, Brunswick, ME 04011 USA
| | | | - Jennifer A Honeycutt
- Program in Neuroscience, Brunswick, ME 04011 USA
- Department of Psychology Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME 04011 USA
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Ng JWY, Felix JF, Olson DM. A novel approach to risk exposure and epigenetics-the use of multidimensional context to gain insights into the early origins of cardiometabolic and neurocognitive health. BMC Med 2023; 21:466. [PMID: 38012757 PMCID: PMC10683259 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-023-03168-z] [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: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Each mother-child dyad represents a unique combination of genetic and environmental factors. This constellation of variables impacts the expression of countless genes. Numerous studies have uncovered changes in DNA methylation (DNAm), a form of epigenetic regulation, in offspring related to maternal risk factors. How these changes work together to link maternal-child risks to childhood cardiometabolic and neurocognitive traits remains unknown. This question is a key research priority as such traits predispose to future non-communicable diseases (NCDs). We propose viewing risk and the genome through a multidimensional lens to identify common DNAm patterns shared among diverse risk profiles. METHODS We identified multifactorial Maternal Risk Profiles (MRPs) generated from population-based data (n = 15,454, Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)). Using cord blood HumanMethylation450 BeadChip data, we identified genome-wide patterns of DNAm that co-vary with these MRPs. We tested the prospective relation of these DNAm patterns (n = 914) to future outcomes using decision tree analysis. We then tested the reproducibility of these patterns in (1) DNAm data at age 7 and 17 years within the same cohort (n = 973 and 974, respectively) and (2) cord DNAm in an independent cohort, the Generation R Study (n = 686). RESULTS We identified twenty MRP-related DNAm patterns at birth in ALSPAC. Four were prospectively related to cardiometabolic and/or neurocognitive childhood outcomes. These patterns were replicated in DNAm data from blood collected at later ages. Three of these patterns were externally validated in cord DNAm data in Generation R. Compared to previous literature, DNAm patterns exhibited novel spatial distribution across the genome that intersects with chromatin functional and tissue-specific signatures. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, we are the first to leverage multifactorial population-wide data to detect patterns of variability in DNAm. This context-based approach decreases biases stemming from overreliance on specific samples or variables. We discovered molecular patterns demonstrating prospective and replicable relations to complex traits. Moreover, results suggest that patterns harbour a genome-wide organisation specific to chromatin regulation and target tissues. These preliminary findings warrant further investigation to better reflect the reality of human context in molecular studies of NCDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane W Y Ng
- Department of Pediatrics, Cummings School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 28 Oki Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T3B 6A8, Canada
| | - Janine F Felix
- The Generation F Study Group, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Postbus, 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - David M Olson
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Physiology, and Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, 220 HMRC, Edmonton, AB, T6G2S2, Canada.
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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.
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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
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Mposhi A, Turner JD. How can early life adversity still exert an effect decades later? A question of timing, tissues and mechanisms. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1215544. [PMID: 37457711 PMCID: PMC10348484 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1215544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to any number of stressors during the first 1000 days from conception to age 2 years is important in shaping an individual's life trajectory of health and disease. Despite the expanding range of stressors as well as later-life phenotypes and outcomes, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Our previous data strongly suggests that early-life exposure to a stressor reduces the capacity of the immune system to generate subsequent generations of naïve cells, while others have shown that, early life stress impairs the capacity of neuronal stem cells to proliferate as they age. This leads us to the "stem cell hypothesis" whereby exposure to adversity during a sensitive period acts through a common mechanism in all the cell types by programming the tissue resident progenitor cells. Furthermore, we review the mechanistic differences observed in fully differentiated cells and suggest that early life adversity (ELA) may alter mitochondria in stem cells. This may consequently alter the destiny of these cells, producing the lifelong "supply" of functionally altered fully differentiated cells.
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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: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [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.
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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.
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Merrill SM, Gladish N, Fu MP, Moore SR, Konwar C, Giesbrecht GF, MacIssac JL, Kobor MS, Letourneau NL. Associations of peripheral blood DNA methylation and estimated monocyte proportion differences during infancy with toddler attachment style. Attach Hum Dev 2023; 25:132-161. [PMID: 34196256 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2021.1938872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Attachment is a motivational system promoting felt security to a caregiver resulting in a persistent internal working model of interpersonal behavior. Attachment styles are developed in early social environments and predict future health and development outcomes with potential biological signatures, such as epigenetic modifications like DNA methylation (DNAm). Thus, we hypothesized infant DNAm would associate with toddler attachment styles. An epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of blood DNAm from 3-month-old infants was regressed onto children's attachment style from the Strange Situation Procedure at 22-months at multiple DNAm Cytosine-phosphate-Guanine (CpG) sites. The 26 identified CpGs associated with proinflammatory immune phenotypes and cognitive development. In post-hoc analyses, only maternal cognitive-growth fostering, encouraging intellectual exploration, contributed. For disorganized children, DNAm-derived cell-type proportions estimated higher monocytes -cells in immune responses hypothesized to increase with early adversity. Collectively, these findings suggested the potential biological embedding of both adverse and advantageous social environments as early as 3-months-old.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Merrill
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Nicole Gladish
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Maggie P Fu
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Sarah R Moore
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Chaini Konwar
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Gerald F Giesbrecht
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Julia L MacIssac
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Michael S Kobor
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada.,Program in Child and Brain Development, CIFAR, Toronto, Canada
| | - Nicole L Letourneau
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.,Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
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11
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Reid BM, Zhong D, Donzella B, Howland M, Moua B, Gunnar MR. Does rapid rebound height growth come at a neurocognitive cost for previously institutionalized youth? J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2022; 63:1434-1444. [PMID: 35253222 PMCID: PMC11114590 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13594] [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] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Height growth faltering is associated with less optimal behavioral outcomes and educational achievement. Although catch-up growth after growth delay may result in developmental gains, it may also present as a double-edged sword, with consequences for neurocognitive functioning such as symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity. As previously institutionalized (PI) children experience height delays at adoption and catch-up growth after adoption, they provide a cohort to test associations between catch-up growth and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. METHODS This study used latent growth curve modeling to examine how catch-up in height-for-age growth is related to attention problems in a population of PI youth followed from adoption in infancy through kindergarten. Participants were assessed within three months of arrival into their families (age at entry: 18-36 months). Anthropometrics were measured four times, approximately 7 months apart. Two visits measured behavioral outcomes with parent and teacher reports of ADHD, internalizing, and externalizing symptoms at age 5 and kindergarten. RESULTS The slope of growth in height z-scores, but not the intercept, was positively associated with parent- and teacher-reported ADHD symptoms in children. A one standard deviation increase in the slope of height z-scores across four assessments was associated with a 0.252 standard deviation increase in ADHD symptoms after controlling for internalizing and externalizing problems, iron status, duration of institutional care, sex, and age. The slope of growth was also associated with internalizing but not externalizing symptoms. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that PI children exhibit individual trajectories of height growth postadoption. Higher rates of change in height-for-age growth were associated with increased ADHD symptoms. These results suggest that catch-up growth comes 'at the cost' of poor attention regulation and hyperactive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brie M. Reid
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Danruo Zhong
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota Twin-Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Bonny Donzella
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota Twin-Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Mariann Howland
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota Twin-Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Bao Moua
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota Twin-Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Megan R. Gunnar
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota Twin-Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Cerdeña JP. Epigenetic citizenship and political claims-making: the ethics of molecularizing structural racism. BIOSOCIETIES 2022; 18:1-24. [PMID: 36277423 PMCID: PMC9579599 DOI: 10.1057/s41292-022-00286-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetics has generated excitement over its potential to inform health disparities research by capturing the molecular signatures of social experiences. This paper highlights the concerns implied by these expectations of epigenetics research and discusses the possible ramifications of 'molecularizing' the forms of social suffering currently examined in epigenetics studies. Researchers working with oppressed populations-particularly racially marginalized groups-should further anticipate how their results might be interpreted to avoid fueling prejudiced claims of biological essentialism. Introducing the concept of 'epigenetic citizenship,' this paper considers the ways environmentally responsive methylation cues may be used in direct-to-consumer testing, healthcare, and biopolitical interactions. The conclusion addresses the future of social epigenetics research and the utility of an epigenetic citizenship framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica P. Cerdeña
- Department of Anthropology, Yale University, 10 Sachem Street, New Haven, CT 06511 USA
- Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA
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13
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Hillary RF, McCartney DL, McRae AF, Campbell A, Walker RM, Hayward C, Horvath S, Porteous DJ, Evans KL, Marioni RE. Identification of influential probe types in epigenetic predictions of human traits: implications for microarray design. Clin Epigenetics 2022; 14:100. [PMID: 35948928 PMCID: PMC9367152 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-022-01320-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND CpG methylation levels can help to explain inter-individual differences in phenotypic traits. Few studies have explored whether identifying probe subsets based on their biological and statistical properties can maximise predictions whilst minimising array content. Variance component analyses and penalised regression (epigenetic predictors) were used to test the influence of (i) the number of probes considered, (ii) mean probe variability and (iii) methylation QTL status on the variance captured in eighteen traits by blood DNA methylation. Training and test samples comprised ≤ 4450 and ≤ 2578 unrelated individuals from Generation Scotland, respectively. RESULTS As the number of probes under consideration decreased, so too did the estimates from variance components and prediction analyses. Methylation QTL status and mean probe variability did not influence variance components. However, relative effect sizes were 15% larger for epigenetic predictors based on probes with known or reported methylation QTLs compared to probes without reported methylation QTLs. Relative effect sizes were 45% larger for predictors based on probes with mean Beta-values between 10 and 90% compared to those based on hypo- or hypermethylated probes (Beta-value ≤ 10% or ≥ 90%). CONCLUSIONS Arrays with fewer probes could reduce costs, leading to increased sample sizes for analyses. Our results show that reducing array content can restrict prediction metrics and careful attention must be given to the biological and distribution properties of CpG probes in array content selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert F Hillary
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK.
| | - Daniel L McCartney
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Allan F McRae
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
| | - Archie Campbell
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Rosie M Walker
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK.,Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Caroline Hayward
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Steve Horvath
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7088, USA.,Department of Biostatistics, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1772, USA
| | - David J Porteous
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Kathryn L Evans
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Riccardo E Marioni
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
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14
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Gunnar MR, Bowen M. What was learned from studying the effects of early institutional deprivation. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2021; 210:173272. [PMID: 34509501 PMCID: PMC8501402 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The effect of experiences in infancy on human development is a central question in developmental science. Children raised in orphanage-like institutions for their first year or so of life and then adopted into well-resourced and supportive families provide a lens on the long-term effects of early deprivation and the capacity of children to recover from this type of early adversity. While it is challenging to identify cause-and-effect relations in the study of previously institutionalized individuals, finding results that are consistent with animal experimental studies and the one randomized study of removal from institutional care support the conclusion that many of the outcomes for these children were induced by early institutional deprivation. This review examines the behavioral and neural evidence for altered executive function, declarative memory, affective disorders, reward processing, reactivity to threat, risk-taking and sensation-seeking. We then provide a brief overview of the neurobiological mechanisms that may transduce early institutional experiences into effects on brain and behavior. In addition, we discuss implications for policy and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan R Gunnar
- University of Minnesota Institute of Child Development, 51 E River Rd, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Maya Bowen
- University of Minnesota Institute of Child Development, 51 E River Rd, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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15
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Clifford RL, Jones MJ. Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts: Integrating Multiple Data Sets to Decipher Cigarette Smoking Effects on Airway Epithelium. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2021; 65:335-336. [PMID: 34139135 PMCID: PMC8525203 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2021-0207ed] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L Clifford
- Centre for Respiratory Medicine University of Nottingham and Nottingham NIHR Biomedical Research Centre Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Meaghan J Jones
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics University of Manitoba Manitoba, Canada and
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba Manitoba, Canada
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16
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Soares S, Rocha V, Kelly-Irving M, Stringhini S, Fraga S. Adverse Childhood Events and Health Biomarkers: A Systematic Review. Front Public Health 2021; 9:649825. [PMID: 34490175 PMCID: PMC8417002 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.649825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: This systematic review aimed to summarize evidence reporting epigenetic and/or neuro-immuno-endocrine embedding of adverse childhood events (ACEs) in children, with a particular focus on the short-term biological effect of those experiences. Methods: A search was conducted in PsycINFO®, PubMed®, Isi Web of Knowledge and Scopus, until July 2019, to identify papers reporting the short-term biological effects of exposure to ACEs. Results: The search identified 58 studies, that were included in the review. Regarding exposure, the type of ACE more frequently reported was sexual abuse (n = 26), followed by life stressors (n = 20) and physical abuse (n = 19). The majority (n = 17) of studies showed a positive association between ACEs and biomarkers of the immune system. Regarding DNA methylation 18 studies showed more methylation in participants exposed to ACEs. Two studies presented the effect of ACEs on telomere length and showed that exposure was associated with shorter telomere length. Conclusion: Overall the associations observed across studies followed the hypothesis that ACEs are associated with biological risk already at early ages. This is supporting evidence that ACEs appear to get “under the skin” and induce physiological changes and these alterations might be strongly associated with later development of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Soares
- EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Departamento de Ciências da Saúde Pública e Forenses e Educação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Vânia Rocha
- EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Departamento de Ciências da Saúde Pública e Forenses e Educação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Michelle Kelly-Irving
- Faculty of Medicine Purpan, LEASP UMR 1027, Inserm-Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Silvia Stringhini
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Systems, Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Unit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, Primary Care and Emergency Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sílvia Fraga
- EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Departamento de Ciências da Saúde Pública e Forenses e Educação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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17
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Reid BM, Horne R, Donzella B, Szamosi JC, Coe CL, Foster JA, Gunnar MR. Microbiota-immune alterations in adolescents following early life adversity: A proof of concept study. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:851-863. [PMID: 33249563 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Early adverse care has long-term impacts on physical and mental health. The influence of rearing conditions on the infant's gut microbiota and its relationship with developmental health has become more evident. The microbiome is essential for normal growth and metabolism, and the signaling from the gut to the brain may underlie individual differences in resilience later in life. Microbial diversity and composition were determined using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing in fecal samples from 17 adolescents adopted internationally from orphanages into the United States and 18 adolescents reared in birth families who had similar educational and income levels. Analyses focused on diversity of the microbial community structure and differences in the abundance of specific bacterial taxa. Blood samples were used to immunophenotype the numbers of several T-cell subsets and cytomegalovirus (CMV) seropositivity. Negative binomial regression analysis revealed several operational taxonomic units that were significantly different based on early rearing conditions and CMV seropositivity. There were significant associations between the relative abundance of certain taxa, the percentages of T-cell subsets in circulation, and CMV seropositivity. These findings demonstrate a possible link between the gut microbiota and associations with immune alterations initiated by early life adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brie M Reid
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Rachael Horne
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, USA
| | - Bonny Donzella
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Jake C Szamosi
- Department of Medicine and Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, USA
| | | | - Jane A Foster
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, USA
| | - Megan R Gunnar
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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18
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Holuka C, Snoeck CJ, Mériaux SB, Ollert M, Krüger R, Turner JD. Adverse Life Trajectories Are a Risk Factor for SARS-CoV-2 IgA Seropositivity. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10102159. [PMID: 34067606 PMCID: PMC8157140 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10102159] [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: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Asymptomatic individuals, called “silent spreaders” spread SARS-CoV-2 efficiently and have complicated control of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As seen in previous influenza pandemics, socioeconomic and life-trajectory factors are important in disease progression and outcome. The demographics of the asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 carriers are unknown. We used the CON-VINCE cohort of healthy, asymptomatic, and oligosymptomatic individuals that is statistically representative of the overall population of Luxembourg for age, gender, and residency to characterise this population. Gender (male), not smoking, and exposure to early-life or adult traumatic experiences increased the risk of IgA seropositivity, and the risk associated with early-life exposure was a dose-dependent metric, while some other known comorbidities of active COVID-19 do not impact it. As prior exposure to adversity is associated with negative psychobiological reactions to external stressors, we recorded psychological wellbeing during the study period. Exposure to traumatic events or concurrent autoimmune or rheumatic disease were associated with a worse evolution of anxiety and depressive symptoms throughout the lockdown period. The unique demographic profile of the “silent spreaders” highlights the role that the early-life period plays in determining our lifelong health trajectory and provides evidence that the developmental origins of health and disease is applicable to infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyrielle Holuka
- Immune Endocrine Epigenetics Research Group, Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, L-4354 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg; (C.H.); (S.B.M.)
- Faculty of Science, University of Luxembourg, L-4365 Belval, Luxembourg
| | - Chantal J. Snoeck
- Clinical and Applied Virology Group, Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, L-4354 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg;
| | - Sophie B. Mériaux
- Immune Endocrine Epigenetics Research Group, Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, L-4354 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg; (C.H.); (S.B.M.)
| | - Markus Ollert
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, 29, rue Henri Koch, L-4354 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg;
- Odense Research Center for Anaphylaxis, Department of Dermatology and Allergy Center, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark
| | - Rejko Krüger
- Transversal Translational Medicine, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), L-1445 Strassen, Luxembourg;
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, L-4362 Esch-Sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Jonathan D. Turner
- Immune Endocrine Epigenetics Research Group, Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, L-4354 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg; (C.H.); (S.B.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +352-2697-0629
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19
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Merz MP, Turner JD. Is early life adversity a trigger towards inflammageing? Exp Gerontol 2021; 150:111377. [PMID: 33905877 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2021.111377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
There are many 'faces' of early life adversity (ELA), such as childhood trauma, institutionalisation, abuse or exposure to environmental toxins. These have been implicated in the onset and severity of a wide range of chronic non-communicable diseases later in life. The later-life disease risk has a well-established immunological component. This raises the question as to whether accelerated immune-ageing mechanistically links early-life adversity to the lifelong health trajectory resulting in either 'poor' or 'healthy' ageing. Here we examine observational and mechanistic studies of ELA and inflammageing, highlighting common and distinct features in these two life stages. Many biological processes appear in common including reduction in telomere length, increased immunosenescence, metabolic distortions and chronic (viral) infections. We propose that ELA shapes the developing immune, endocrine and nervous system in a non-reversible way, creating a distinct phenotype with accelerated immunosenescence and systemic inflammation. We conclude that ELA might act as an accelerator for inflammageing and age-related diseases. Furthermore, we now have the tools and cohorts to be able to dissect the interaction between ELA and later life phenotype. This should, in the near future, allow us to identify the ecological and mechanistic processes that are involved in 'healthy' or accelerated immune-ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myriam P Merz
- Immune Endocrine and Epigenetics Research Group, Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), 29 rue Henri Koch, L-4354 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg; Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, 2 avenue de Université, L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Jonathan D Turner
- Immune Endocrine and Epigenetics Research Group, Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), 29 rue Henri Koch, L-4354 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
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20
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Parade SH, Huffhines L, Daniels TE, Stroud LR, Nugent NR, Tyrka AR. A systematic review of childhood maltreatment and DNA methylation: candidate gene and epigenome-wide approaches. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:134. [PMID: 33608499 PMCID: PMC7896059 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01207-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment is a major risk factor for chronic and severe mental and physical health problems across the lifespan. Increasing evidence supports the hypothesis that maltreatment is associated with epigenetic changes that may subsequently serve as mechanisms of disease. The current review uses a systematic approach to identify and summarize the literature related to childhood maltreatment and alterations in DNA methylation in humans. A total of 100 empirical articles were identified in our systematic review of research published prior to or during March 2020, including studies that focused on candidate genes and studies that leveraged epigenome-wide data in both children and adults. Themes arising from the literature, including consistent and inconsistent patterns of results, are presented. Several directions for future research, including important methodological considerations for future study design, are discussed. Taken together, the literature on childhood maltreatment and DNA methylation underscores the complexity of transactions between the environment and biology across development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie H Parade
- Initiative on Stress, Trauma, and Resilience, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
- Bradley/Hasbro Children's Research Center, E. P. Bradley Hospital, East Providence, RI, USA.
| | - Lindsay Huffhines
- Initiative on Stress, Trauma, and Resilience, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Bradley/Hasbro Children's Research Center, E. P. Bradley Hospital, East Providence, RI, USA
| | - Teresa E Daniels
- Initiative on Stress, Trauma, and Resilience, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Laboratory for Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Laura R Stroud
- Initiative on Stress, Trauma, and Resilience, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Nicole R Nugent
- Initiative on Stress, Trauma, and Resilience, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Audrey R Tyrka
- Initiative on Stress, Trauma, and Resilience, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Laboratory for Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
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21
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Letourneau N, Ntanda H, Jong VL, Mahinpey N, Giesbrecht G, Ross KM. Prenatal maternal distress and immune cell epigenetic profiles at 3-months of age. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:973-984. [PMID: 33569773 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal maternal distress predicts altered offspring immune outcomes, potentially via altered epigenetics. The role of different kinds of prenatal maternal distress on DNA methylation profiles is not understood. METHODS A sample of 117 women (APrON cohort) were followed from pregnancy to the postpartum period. Maternal distress (depressive symptoms, pregnancy-specific anxiety, stressful life events) were assessed mid-pregnancy, late-pregnancy, and 3-months postpartum. DNA methylation profiles were obtained from 3-month-old blood samples. Principal component analysis identified two epigenetic components, characterized as Immune Signaling and DNA Transcription through gene network analysis. Covariates were maternal demographics, pre-pregnancy body mass index, child sex, birth gestational age, and postpartum maternal distress. Penalized regression (LASSO) models were used. RESULTS Late-pregnancy stressful life events, b = 0.006, early-pregnancy depressive symptoms, b = 0.027, late-pregnancy depressive symptoms, b = 0.014, and pregnancy-specific anxiety during late pregnancy, b = -0.631, were predictive of the Immune Signaling component, suggesting that these aspects of maternal distress could affect methylation in offspring immune signaling pathways. Only early-pregnancy depressive symptoms was predictive of the DNA Transcription component, b = -0.0004, suggesting that this aspect of maternal distress is implicated in methylation of offspring DNA transcription pathways. CONCLUSIONS Exposure timing and kind of prenatal maternal distress could matter in the prediction of infant immune epigenetic profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Victor L Jong
- University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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22
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Engel ML, Coe CL, Reid BM, Donzella B, Gunnar MR. Selective inflammatory propensities in adopted adolescents institutionalized as infants. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 124:105065. [PMID: 33278786 PMCID: PMC7880887 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.105065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Revised: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
This study examined whether early life adversity (ELA) limited to infancy was associated with an increase in circulating levels of proinflammatory cytokines and cellular cytokine responses to three stimulants [lipopolysaccharide (LPS), phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and phorbol myristate acetate plus ionomycin (PMA/IO)]. Participants were previously institutionalized (PI) youth (N = 45, 56 % female) who had spent their first years in institutional care (e.g., orphanages, baby homes) before being adopted into well-resourced homes (median age at adoption = 13 mos) and non-adopted comparisons (NA; N = 38, 55 % female). Their age range was 13.3-21.2 years (M = 16.3 years). This analysis followed up an earlier report on these youth (Reid et al., 2019a) that identified an increase in terminally differentiated CD8 + CD57 T cells among the PI relative to the NA youth. Cytokine levels in circulation were not highly correlated and thus examined separately. PI youth had higher circulating levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNFα), but not Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) or Interleukin-6 (IL-6). Cytokine responses to in vitro activation within each stimulant condition were highly correlated and were thus combined to generate an index of the inflammatory reaction to each stimulant. Using Multivariate Analysis of Covariance, there was a highly significant multivariate effect of group, which was carried primarily by the PMA/IO condition, with PI youth exhibiting a larger inflammatory response than NA youth. Tests of mediation showed that both the early rearing effects on circulating TNFα and the composite inflammatory index of PMA/IO responsiveness were mediated in the statistical model by the percentage of CD8 + CD57+ TEMRA cells in circulation, a marker of replicative senescence in T cells. Sex differences were also found in circulating levels of IL-6 and TNFα, with males having higher levels than females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa L Engel
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 51 E. River Road, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
| | - Christopher L Coe
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1202 W. Johnson Street, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
| | - Brie M Reid
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 51 E. River Road, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
| | - Bonny Donzella
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 51 E. River Road, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
| | - Megan R Gunnar
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 51 E. River Road, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
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23
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Ness C, Katta K, Garred Ø, Kumar T, Olstad OK, Petrovski G, Moe MC, Noer A. Integrated differential DNA methylation and gene expression of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded uveal melanoma specimens identifies genes associated with early metastasis and poor prognosis. Exp Eye Res 2020; 203:108426. [PMID: 33387485 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2020.108426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Uveal melanoma (UM) is an aggressive malignancy, in which nearly 50% of the patients die from metastatic disease. Aberrant DNA methylation is recognized as an important epigenomic event in carcinogenesis. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples represent a valuable source of tumor tissue, and recent technology has enabled the use of these samples in genome-wide DNA methylation analyses. Our aim was to investigate differential DNA methylation in relation to histopathological classification and survival data. In addition we sought to identify aberrant DNA methylation of genes that could be associated with metastatic disease and poor survival. METHODS FFPE samples from UM patients (n = 23) who underwent enucleation of the eye in the period 1976-1989 were included. DNA methylation was assessed using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 array and coupled to histopathological data, Cancer Registry of Norway- (registered UM metastasis) and Norwegian Cause of Death Registry- (time and cause of death) data. Differential DNA methylation patterns contrasting histological classification, survival data and clustering properties were investigated. Survival groups were defined as "Early metastasis" (metastases and death within 2-5 years after enucleation, n = 8), "Late metastasis" (metastases and death within 9-21 years after enucleation, n = 7) and "No metastasis" (no detected metastases ≥18 years after enucleation, n = 8). A subset of samples were selected based on preliminary multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) plots, histopathological classification, chromosome 3 status, survival status and clustering properties; "Subset Early metastasis" (n = 4) vs "Subset No metastasis" (n = 4). Bioinformatics analyses were conducted in the R statistical software. Differentially methylated positions (DMPs) and differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in various comparisons were assessed. Gene expression of relevant subgroups was determined by microarray analysis and quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RESULTS DNA methylation analyses identified 2 clusters that separated the samples according to chromosome 3 status. Cluster 1 consisted of samples (n = 5) with chromosome 3 disomy (D3), while Cluster 2 was comprised of samples (n = 15) with chromosome 3 monosomy (M3). 1212 DMRs and 9386 DMPs were identified in M3 vs D3. No clear clusters were formed based on our predefined survival groups ("Early", "Late", "No") nor histopathological classification (Epithelioid, Mixed, Spindle). We identified significant changes in DNA methylation (beta FC ≥ 0.2, adjusted p < 0.05) between two sample subsets (n = 8). "Subset Early metastasis" (n = 4) vs "Subset No metastasis" (n = 4) identified 348 DMPs and 36 DMRs, and their differential gene expression by microarray showed that 14 DMPs and 2 DMRs corresponded to changes in gene expression (FC ≥ 1.5, p < 0.05). RNF13, ZNF217 and HYAL1 were hypermethylated and downregulated in "Subset Early metastasis" vs "Subset No metastasis" and could be potential tumor suppressors. TMEM200C, RGS10, ADAM12 and PAM were hypomethylated and upregulated in "Subset Early metastasis vs "Subset No metastasis" and could be potential oncogenes and thus markers of early metastasis and poor prognosis in UM. CONCLUSIONS DNA methylation profiling showed differential clustering of samples according to chromosome 3 status: Cluster 1 (D3) and Cluster 2 (M3). Integrated differential DNA methylation and gene expression of two subsets of samples identified genes associated with early metastasis and poor prognosis. RNF13, ZNF217 and HYAL1 are hypermethylated and candidate tumor suppressors, while TMEM200C, RGS10, ADAM12 and PAM are hypomethylated and candidate oncogenes linked to early metastasis. UM FFPE samples represent a valuable source for methylome studies and enable long-time follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Ness
- Center for Eye Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kirankumar Katta
- Center for Eye Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Øystein Garred
- Department of Pathology, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
| | - Theresa Kumar
- Department of Pathology, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
| | | | - Goran Petrovski
- Center for Eye Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Morten C Moe
- Center for Eye Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Agate Noer
- Center for Eye Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
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24
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Kandaswamy R, Hannon E, Arseneault L, Mansell G, Sugden K, Williams B, Burrage J, Staley JR, Pishva E, Dahir A, Roberts S, Danese A, Mill J, Fisher HL, Wong CCY. DNA methylation signatures of adolescent victimization: analysis of a longitudinal monozygotic twin sample. Epigenetics 2020; 16:1169-1186. [PMID: 33371772 PMCID: PMC8813077 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2020.1853317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that individuals exposed to victimization at key developmental stages may have different epigenetic fingerprints compared to those exposed to no/minimal stressful events, however results are inconclusive. This study aimed to strengthen causal inference regarding the impact of adolescent victimization on the epigenome by controlling for genetic variation, age, gender, and shared environmental exposures. We conducted longitudinal epigenome-wide association analyses (EWAS) on DNA methylation (DNAm) profiles of 118 monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs from the Environmental Risk study with and without severe adolescent victimization generated using buccal DNA collected at ages 5, 10 and 18, and the Illumina EPIC array. Additionally, we performed cross-sectional EWAS on age-18 blood and buccal DNA from the same individuals to elucidate tissue-specific signatures of severe adolescent victimization. Our analyses identified 20 suggestive differentially methylated positions (DMPs) (P < 5e-05), with altered DNAm trajectories between ages 10–18 associated with severe adolescent victimization (∆Beta range = −5.5%−5.3%). Age-18 cross-sectional analyses revealed 72 blood (∆Beta range = −2.2%−3.4%) and 42 buccal (∆Beta range = −3.6%−4.6%) suggestive severe adolescent victimization-associated DMPs, with some evidence of convergent signals between these two tissue types. Downstream regional analysis identified significant differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in LGR6 and ANK3 (Šidák P = 5e-09 and 4.07e-06), and one upstream of CCL27 (Šidák P = 2.80e-06) in age-18 blood and buccal EWAS, respectively. Our study represents the first longitudinal MZ twin analysis of DNAm and severe adolescent victimization, providing initial evidence for altered DNA methylomic signatures in individuals exposed to adolescent victimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radhika Kandaswamy
- King's College London, Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - Eilis Hannon
- University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Louise Arseneault
- King's College London, Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, UK.,ESRC Centre for Society & Mental Health, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Georgina Mansell
- University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Karen Sugden
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Benjamin Williams
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Joe Burrage
- University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - James R Staley
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Ehsan Pishva
- University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Aisha Dahir
- University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Susanna Roberts
- King's College London, Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London UK
| | - Andrea Danese
- King's College London, Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, UK.,King's College London, Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London UK.,National & Specialist CAMHS Clinic for Trauma, Anxiety and Depression, South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Jonathan Mill
- University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Helen L Fisher
- King's College London, Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, UK.,ESRC Centre for Society & Mental Health, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Chloe C Y Wong
- King's College London, Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, UK
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25
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Castagné R, Kelly-Irving M, Krogh V, Palli D, Panico S, Sacerdote C, Tumino R, Hebels DG, Kleinjans JC, de Kok TM, Georgiadis P, Kyrtopoulos SA, Vermeulen R, Stringhini S, Vineis P, Chadeau-Hyam M, Delpierre C. A multi-omics approach to investigate the inflammatory response to life course socioeconomic position. Epigenomics 2020; 12:1287-1302. [PMID: 32875816 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2019-0261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: Inflammation represents a potential pathway through which socioeconomic position (SEP) is biologically embedded. Materials & methods: We analyzed inflammatory biomarkers in response to life course SEP by integrating multi-omics DNA-methylation, gene expression and protein level in 178 European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Italy participants. Results & conclusion: We identified 61 potential cis acting CpG loci whose methylation levels were associated with gene expression at a Bonferroni correction. We examined the relationships between life course SEP and these 61 cis-acting regulatory methylation sites individually and jointly using several scores. Less-advantaged SEP participants exhibit, later in life, a lower inflammatory methylome score, suggesting an overall increased expression of the corresponding inflammatory genes or proteins, supporting the hypothesis that SEP impacts adult physiology through inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaële Castagné
- LEASP, UMR 1027, Inserm-Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Vittorio Krogh
- Epidemiology & Prevention Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Domenico Palli
- Cancer Risk Factors & Lifestyle Epidemiology Unit, Institute for Cancer Research Prevention & Clinical Network-ISPRO, Florence 50141, Italy
| | - Salvatore Panico
- Department of Clinical Medicine & Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Carlotta Sacerdote
- Unit of Cancer Epidemiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza University-Hospital & Center for Cancer Prevention (CPO), Turin 10133, Italy
| | - Rosario Tumino
- Cancer Registry & Department of Histopathology, Provicial Health Authority (ASP) Ragusa 97100, Italy
| | - Dennie Gaj Hebels
- MERLN Institute, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jos Cs Kleinjans
- Department of Toxicogenomics, GROW Institute & Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht 6211LK, The Netherlands
| | - Theo McM de Kok
- Department of Toxicogenomics, GROW Institute & Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht 6211LK, The Netherlands
| | - Panagiotis Georgiadis
- National Hellenic Research Foundation, Institute of Chemical Biology, Vas. Constantinou 48, 11635 Athens, Greece
| | - Soterios A Kyrtopoulos
- National Hellenic Research Foundation, Institute of Chemical Biology, Vas. Constantinou 48, 11635 Athens, Greece
| | - Roel Vermeulen
- Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, PO Box 80178, 3508 TD, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Silvia Stringhini
- Institute of Social & Preventive Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne 1010, Switzerland
| | - Paolo Vineis
- MRC-PHE Centre for Environment & Health, School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Imperial College London, SW7 2BU, London, UK.,Molecular & Genetic Epidemiology Unit, Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine (IIGM), Torino 10126, Italy
| | - Marc Chadeau-Hyam
- MRC-PHE Centre for Environment & Health, School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Imperial College London, SW7 2BU, London, UK
| | - Cyrille Delpierre
- LEASP, UMR 1027, Inserm-Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
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26
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Krause BJ, Artigas R, Sciolla AF, Hamilton J. Epigenetic mechanisms activated by childhood adversity. Epigenomics 2020; 12:1239-1255. [PMID: 32706263 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2020-0042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) impair health and life expectancy and may result in an epigenetic signature that drives increased morbidity primed during early stages of life. This literature review focuses on the current evidence for epigenetic-mediated programming of brain and immune function resulting from ACE. To address this aim, a total of 88 articles indexed in PubMed before August 2019 concerning ACE and epigenetics were surveyed. Current evidence partially supports epigenetic programming of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, but convincingly shows that ACE impairs immune function. Additionally, the needs and challenges that face this area are discussed in order to provide a framework that may help to clarify the role of epigenetics in the long-lasting effects of ACE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernardo J Krause
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de O''Higgins, Rancagua, Chile.,CUIDA - Centro de Investigación del Abuso y la Adversidad Temprana, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Avenida Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 340, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rocio Artigas
- CUIDA - Centro de Investigación del Abuso y la Adversidad Temprana, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Avenida Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 340, Santiago, Chile
| | - Andres F Sciolla
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95834, USA
| | - James Hamilton
- CUIDA - Centro de Investigación del Abuso y la Adversidad Temprana, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Avenida Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 340, Santiago, Chile.,Fundación Para la Confianza, Pérez Valenzuela 1264, Providencia, Santiago, Chile
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27
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Scorza P, Duarte CS, Lee S, Wu H, Posner JE, Baccarelli A, Monk C. Epigenetic Intergenerational Transmission: Mothers' Adverse Childhood Experiences and DNA Methylation. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2020; 59:900-901. [PMID: 32666920 PMCID: PMC7898414 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2020.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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28
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Robakis TK, Zhang S, Rasgon NL, Li T, Wang T, Roth MC, Humphreys KL, Gotlib IH, Ho M, Khechaduri A, Watson K, Roat-Shumway S, Budhan VV, Davis KN, Crowe SD, Ellie Williams K, Urban AE. Epigenetic signatures of attachment insecurity and childhood adversity provide evidence for role transition in the pathogenesis of perinatal depression. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:48. [PMID: 32066670 PMCID: PMC7026105 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0703-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life adversity and insecure attachment style are known risk factors for perinatal depression. The biological pathways linking these experiences, however, have not yet been elucidated. We hypothesized that overlap in patterns of DNA methylation in association with each of these phenomena could identify genes and pathways of importance. Specifically, we wished to distinguish between allostatic-load and role-transition hypotheses of perinatal depression. We conducted a large-scale analysis of methylation patterns across 5 × 106 individual CG dinucleotides in 54 women participating in a longitudinal prospective study of perinatal depression, using clustering-based criteria for significance to control for multiple comparisons. We identified 1580 regions in which methylation density was associated with childhood adversity, 3 in which methylation density was associated with insecure attachment style, and 6 in which methylation density was associated with perinatal depression. Shorter telomeres were observed in association with childhood trauma but not with perinatal depression or attachment insecurity. A detailed analysis of methylation density in the oxytocin receptor gene revealed similar patterns of DNA methylation in association with perinatal depression and with insecure attachment style, while childhood trauma was associated with a distinct methylation pattern in this gene. Clinically, attachment style was strongly associated with depression only in pregnancy and the early postpartum, whereas the association of childhood adversity with depression was time-invariant. We concluded that the broad DNA methylation signature and reduced telomere length associated with childhood adversity could indicate increased allostatic load across multiple body systems, whereas perinatal depression and attachment insecurity may be narrower phenotypes with more limited DNA methylation signatures outside the CNS, and no apparent association with telomere length or, by extension, allostatic load. In contrast, the finding of matching DNA methylation patterns within the oxytocin receptor gene for perinatal depression and attachment insecurity is consistent with the theory that the perinatal period is a time of activation of existing attachment schemas for the purpose of structuring the mother-child relationship, and that such activation may occur in part through specific patterns of methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thalia K Robakis
- Stanford University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Siming Zhang
- Stanford University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford University Department of Genetics, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Natalie L Rasgon
- Stanford University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Tao Wang
- AccuraScience, LLC, Johnston, IN, USA
| | - Marissa C Roth
- Vanderbilt University Department of Psychology, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Ian H Gotlib
- Stanford University Department of Psychology, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Marcus Ho
- Stanford University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Katherine Watson
- Stanford University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Siena Roat-Shumway
- Stanford University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Vena V Budhan
- Palo Alto University Graduate School of Psychology, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Kasey N Davis
- Stanford University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Susan D Crowe
- Stanford University Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Alexander E Urban
- Stanford University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Stanford University Department of Genetics, Stanford, CA, USA.
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29
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Variability in DNA methylation at the serotonin transporter gene promoter: epigenetic mechanism or cell-type artifact? Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:1906-1909. [PMID: 30082839 PMCID: PMC7473835 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0121-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Revised: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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30
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Gunnar MR, Reid BM. Early Deprivation Revisited: Contemporary Studies of the Impact on Young Children of Institutional Care. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-devpsych-121318-085013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
There is clear evidence that early deprivation in the form of early institutional care affects children both immediately and long after they are removed from the institution. This article reviews the modern literature on the impact of institutional care from animal models to longitudinal studies in humans. Importantly, we examine the current understanding of neuroendocrine regulation in the context of early deprivation. We discuss the opportunities and limitations of studying the effects of deprivation in previously institutionalized children, review behavioral findings and related neurobiological studies, and address the physical health ramifications of institutional care. Finally, we touch on future directions for both science and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan R. Gunnar
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA;,
| | - Brie M. Reid
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA;,
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31
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Jones-Mason K, Behrens KY, Gribneau Bahm NI. The psychobiological consequences of child separation at the border: lessons from research on attachment and emotion regulation. Attach Hum Dev 2019; 23:1-36. [PMID: 31769354 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2019.1692879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
In the spring of 2018, the Attorney General of the United States issued a memorandum declaring a "zero tolerance policy" under which all adults entering the United States illegally would be criminally prosecuted, and, if traveling with minor children, forcibly separated from their children. Although the government was ordered to reunite the children with their parents it is still unclear how many children have been or remain separated. Given the high risk of permanent harm to a vulnerable population, and the fact that this risk may continue into the near future, we present a review of what nearly eight decades of scholarly research has taught us about the damaging impact of deprivation and separation from parents. The article briefly reviews the origins of attachment theory as well as empirical studies that examine the psychobiological impact on children who experienced parental deprivation or separation. The paper concludes with recommendations, for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Jones-Mason
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Health and Community, University of California , San Francisco, USA
| | - Kazuko Y Behrens
- Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, State University of New York Polytechnic Institute , Utica, NY, USA
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32
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Ramos PS. Epigenetics of scleroderma: Integrating genetic, ethnic, age, and environmental effects. JOURNAL OF SCLERODERMA AND RELATED DISORDERS 2019; 4:238-250. [PMID: 35382507 PMCID: PMC8922566 DOI: 10.1177/2397198319855872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Scleroderma or systemic sclerosis is thought to result from the interplay between environmental or non-genetic factors in a genetically susceptible individual. Epigenetic modifications are influenced by genetic variation and environmental exposures, and change with chronological age and between populations. Despite progress in identifying genetic, epigenetic, and environmental risk factors, the underlying mechanism of systemic sclerosis remains unclear. Since epigenetics provides the regulatory mechanism linking genetic and non-genetic factors to gene expression, understanding the role of epigenetic regulation in systemic sclerosis will elucidate how these factors interact to cause systemic sclerosis. Among the cell types under tight epigenetic control and susceptible to epigenetic dysregulation, immune cells are critically involved in early pathogenic events in the progression of fibrosis and systemic sclerosis. This review starts by summarizing the changes in DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNAs associated with systemic sclerosis. It then discusses the role of genetic, ethnic, age, and environmental effects on epigenetic regulation, with a focus on immune system dysregulation. Given the potential of epigenome editing technologies for cell reprogramming and as a therapeutic approach for durable gene regulation, this review concludes with a prospect on epigenetic editing. Although epigenomics in systemic sclerosis is in its infancy, future studies will help elucidate the regulatory mechanisms underpinning systemic sclerosis and inform the design of targeted epigenetic therapies to control its dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula S Ramos
- Paula S. Ramos, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine and Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 96 Jonathan Lucas Street, Suite 816, MSC 637, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
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33
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Prenatal exposure to traffic-related air pollution, the gestational epigenetic clock, and risk of early-life allergic sensitization. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2019; 144:1729-1731.e5. [PMID: 31470034 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2019.07.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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34
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Kumsta R. The role of epigenetics for understanding mental health difficulties and its implications for psychotherapy research. Psychol Psychother 2019; 92:190-207. [PMID: 30924323 DOI: 10.1111/papt.12227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Many mental health difficulties have developmental origins. Understanding the mechanisms for how psychosocial experiences are biologically embedded and influence lifelong development is a key challenge for the mental health disciplines. In recent years, epigenetic processes have emerged as a potential mechanism mediating the long-lasting vulnerability following the experience of adversity. Animal models provide evidence that early-life adversity can produce enduring epigenetic modifications in the brain, which mediate disorder-like behaviours, and there is emerging evidence to support that environmental factors influence epigenetic processes in humans. The investigation of DNA methylation, a chemical modification of the DNA with a role in gene regulatory processes, is becoming increasingly popular in psychological studies. A particular interest for the psychotherapy field lies in the potential for psychological interventions to influence epigenetic processes. Hence, the focus of this review will be on studies that have investigated intervention-associated changes in DNA methylation. Results of the first few studies will be critically reviewed, and a model of how therapy-associated changes of DNA methylation in peripheral, non-brain tissue might be useful as epigenetic biomarkers of treatment outcome will be presented. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Many mental health difficulties have substantial developmental origin. Epigenetic processes have emerged as a potential mechanism mediating the long-term effects of early adversity Epigenetic refers to cellular mechanisms that control gene expression states, independent of changes to the underlying DNA sequence. The epigenome can be highly dynamic and potentially influenced by external factors A particular interest for the psychotherapy field lies in the potential for psychological interventions to influence epigenetic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Kumsta
- Department of Genetic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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35
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Dunn EC, Soare TW, Zhu Y, Simpkin AJ, Suderman MJ, Klengel T, Smith ADAC, Ressler KJ, Relton CL. Sensitive Periods for the Effect of Childhood Adversity on DNA Methylation: Results From a Prospective, Longitudinal Study. Biol Psychiatry 2019; 85:838-849. [PMID: 30905381 PMCID: PMC6552666 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to early-life adversity is known to predict DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns that may be related to psychiatric risk. However, few studies have investigated whether adversity has time-dependent effects based on the age at exposure. METHODS Using a two-stage structured life course modeling approach, we tested the hypothesis that there are sensitive periods when adversity induces greater DNAm changes. We tested this hypothesis in relation to two alternatives: an accumulation hypothesis, in which the effect of adversity increases with the number of occasions exposed, regardless of timing; and a recency model, in which the effect of adversity is stronger for more proximal events. Data came from the Accessible Resource for Integrated Epigenomic Studies, a subsample of mother-child pairs from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (n = 691-774). RESULTS After covariate adjustment and multiple testing correction, we identified 38 CpG sites that were differentially methylated at 7 years of age following exposure to adversity. Most loci (n = 35) were predicted by the timing of adversity, namely exposures before 3 years of age. Neither the accumulation nor recency of the adversity explained considerable variability in DNAm. A standard epigenome-wide association study of lifetime exposure (vs. no exposure) failed to detect these associations. CONCLUSIONS The developmental timing of adversity explains more variability in DNAm than the accumulation or recency of exposure. Very early childhood appears to be a sensitive period when exposure to adversity predicts differential DNAm patterns. Classification of individuals as exposed versus unexposed to early-life adversity may dilute observed effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin C Dunn
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute of Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
| | - Thomas W Soare
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute of Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Yiwen Zhu
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Andrew J Simpkin
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J Suderman
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Torsten Klengel
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Gottingen, Germany
| | - Andrew D A C Smith
- Applied Statistics Group, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts
| | - Caroline L Relton
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom; Institute of Genetic Medicine, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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36
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Schmeer KK, Ford JL, Browning CR. Early childhood family instability and immune system dysregulation in adolescence. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 102:189-195. [PMID: 30579236 PMCID: PMC6689237 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to stress is one way in which social disadvantages during childhood may alter biological and psychological systems with long-term consequences. Family social and economic conditions are critical for early childhood development and exposure to difficult family conditions may have lasting physiological effects. However, there is little research linking early childhood conditions with physiological indicators of stress and system dysregulation in adolescence. In this study, we assess how family social and economic instability that occurred in early childhood (birth to age 5) is associated with immune system dysregulation in adolescence, as indicated by DNA shedding of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). We utilize a biomarker of EBV obtained through saliva, a non-invasive method of collecting immune-system biomarkers, in 674 adolescents 11-17 years old. Multivariable regression results indicated that experiences of moving into a new parent/caregiver household or moving in with a grandparent during early childhood was associated with an estimated 100% increase in EBV DNA shedding among prior EBV-infected adolescents. Other measures of early childhood family instability, total number of family structure changes and economic insecurity, were marginally significant. Contemporaneous family conditions were not associated with adolescents' EBV DNA shedding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kammi K Schmeer
- Department of Sociology, The Ohio State University, United States.
| | - Jodi L Ford
- College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, United States
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Naumova OY, Rychkov SY, Kornilov SA, Odintsova VV, Anikina VО, Solodunova MY, Arintcina IA, Zhukova MA, Ovchinnikova IV, Burenkova OV, Zhukova OV, Muhamedrahimov RJ, Grigorenko EL. Effects of early social deprivation on epigenetic statuses and adaptive behavior of young children: A study based on a cohort of institutionalized infants and toddlers. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214285. [PMID: 30913238 PMCID: PMC6435191 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Early social deprivation (i.e., an insufficiency or lack of parental care) has been identified as a significant adverse early experience that may affect multiple facets of child development and cause long-term outcomes in physical and mental health, cognition and behavior. Current research provides growing evidence that epigenetic reprogramming may be a mechanism modulating these effects of early adversities. This work aimed to investigate the impact of early institutionalization—the immersion in an extreme socially depriving environment in humans—on the epigenome and adaptive behavior of young children up to 4 years of age. We conducted a cross-sectional study involving two comparison groups: 29 children raised in orphanages and 29 children raised in biological families. Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles of blood cells were obtained using the Illumina MethylationEPIC array; the level of child adaptive functioning was assessed using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-II. In comparison to children raised in families, children residing in orphanages had both statistically significant deficits in multiple adaptive behavior domains and statistically significant differences in DNA methylation states. Moreover, some of these methylation states may directly modulate the behavioral deficits; according to preliminary estimates, about 7–14% of the deviation of adaptive behavior between groups of children may be determined by their difference in DNA methylation profiles. The duration of institutionalization had a significant impact on both the adaptive level and DNA methylation status of institutionalized children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oxana Yu. Naumova
- Human Genetics Laboratory, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation
- Department of Psychology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail: (EG); (OYN)
| | - Sergey Yu. Rychkov
- Human Genetics Laboratory, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Sergey A. Kornilov
- Department of Psychology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Veronika V. Odintsova
- Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Moscow, Russian Federation
- Federal Research Institute for Health Organization and Informatics, Moscow, Russia
| | - Varvara О. Anikina
- Department of Psychology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Maria Yu. Solodunova
- Department of Psychology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Irina A. Arintcina
- Department of Psychology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Marina A. Zhukova
- Department of Psychology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Irina V. Ovchinnikova
- Department of Psychology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Olga V. Burenkova
- Department of Psychology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Olga V. Zhukova
- Human Genetics Laboratory, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Rifkat J. Muhamedrahimov
- Department of Psychology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Elena L. Grigorenko
- Department of Psychology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail: (EG); (OYN)
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38
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Reid BM, Coe CL, Doyle CM, Sheerar D, Slukvina A, Donzella B, Gunnar MR. Persistent skewing of the T-cell profile in adolescents adopted internationally from institutional care. Brain Behav Immun 2019; 77:168-177. [PMID: 30639443 PMCID: PMC6496945 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 12/28/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The developing immune system is an adaptive system, primed by antigens, responsive to infectious pathogens, and can be affected by other aspects of the early rearing environment, including deviations from the normal provision of parental care. We investigated whether early rearing in an institutional setting, even when followed by years living in supportive and well-resourced families, would be associated with a persistent shift in T cell profiles. Immunophenotyping was used to enumerate CD4+ CD57+ and CD8+ CD57+ subsets, with gating strategies employed to differentiate naïve, central-memory, effector-memory, and terminally differentiated EM cells expressing CD45RA (TEMRA). Blood samples were collected from 96 adolescents, and PBMC isolated via Ficol gradient, followed by an optimized immunophenotypic characterization. CMV antibody titers were determined via ELISA. Adopted adolescents had lower CD4/CD8 ratios than did the control adolescents. Early rearing had a significant effect on the T cells, especially the CD8+ CD57+ CM, EM, and TEMRA cells and the CD4+ CD57+ EM cells. Adolescents who had spent their infancy in institutions before adoption were more likely to be seropositive for CMV, with higher antibody titers. CMV antibody titers were significantly correlated with the percentages of all CD8+ CD57+ cell subsets. In the statistical modeling, CMV antibody titer also completely mediated the relationship between institutional exposure and the ratio of CD4-to-CD8 cells, as well as the percentages of CD4+ CD57+ and CD8+ CD57+ subsets. These findings demonstrate that persistent immune differences are still evident even years after adoption by supportive American families. The shift in the T cells was associated with being a latent carrier of CMV and may reflect the role of specific T cell subsets in Herpes virus containment. In older adults, sustained CMV antigen persistence and immunoregulatory containment ultimately contributes to an accumulation of differentiated T cells with a decreased proliferative capacity and to immune senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brie M Reid
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 51 E. River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States.
| | - Christopher L Coe
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1202 W. Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53706, United States
| | - Colleen M Doyle
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 51 E. River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | - Dagna Sheerar
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1202 W. Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53706, United States
| | - Alla Slukvina
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1202 W. Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53706, United States
| | - Bonny Donzella
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 51 E. River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | - Megan R Gunnar
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 51 E. River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
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Abstract
Our social environment, from the microscopic to the macro-social, affects us for the entirety of our lives. One integral line of research to examine how interpersonal and societal environments can get "under the skin" is through the lens of epigenetics. Epigenetic mechanisms are adaptations made to our genome in response to our environment which include tags placed on and removed from the DNA itself to how our DNA is packaged, affecting how our genes are read, transcribed, and interact. These tags are affected by social environments and can persist over time; this may aid us in responding to experiences and exposures, both the enriched and the disadvantageous. From memory formation to immune function, the experience-dependent plasticity of epigenetic modifications to micro- and macro-social environments may contribute to the process of learning from comfort, pain, and stress to better survive in whatever circumstances life has in store.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Merrill
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Nicole Gladish
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Michael S Kobor
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- Human Early Learning Partnership, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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Bearer EL, Mulligan BS. Epigenetic Changes Associated with Early Life Experiences: Saliva, A Biospecimen for DNA Methylation Signatures. Curr Genomics 2018; 19:676-698. [PMID: 30532647 PMCID: PMC6225450 DOI: 10.2174/1389202919666180307150508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2017] [Revised: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), which include traumatic injury, are associated with poor health outcomes in later life, yet the biological mechanisms mediating this association are unknown. Neurocircuitry, immune system and hormone regulation differ from normal in adults reporting ACEs. These systems could be affected by epigenetic changes, including methylation of cytosine (5mC) in genomic DNA, activated by ACEs. Since 5mC levels influence gene expression and can be long-lasting, altered 5mC status at specific sites or throughout the genome is hypothesized to influence mental and physical outcomes after ACE(s). Human and animal studies support this, with animal models allowing experiments for attributing causality. Here we provide a lengthy introduction and background on 5mC and the impact of early life adversity. OBJECTIVE Next we address the issue of a mixture of cell types in saliva, the most accessible biospecimen for 5mC analysis. Typical human bio-specimens for 5mC analysis include saliva or buccal swabs, whole blood or types of blood cells, tumors and post-mortem brain. In children saliva is the most accessible biospecimen, but contains a mixture of keratinocytes and white blood cells, as do buccal swabs. Even in saliva from the same individual at different time points, cell composition may differ widely. Similar issues affect analysis in blood, where nucleated cells represent a wide array of white blood cell types. Unless variations in ratios of these cells between each sample are included in the analysis, results can be unreliable. METHODS Several different biochemical assays are available to test for site-specific methylation levels genome-wide, each producing different information, with high-density arrays being the easiest to use, and bisulfite whole genome sequencing the most comprehensive. We compare results from different assays and use high-throughput computational processing to deconvolve cell composition in saliva samples. RESULTS Here we present examples demonstrating the critical importance of determining the relative contribution of blood cells versus keratinocytes to the 5mC profile found in saliva. We further describe a strategy to perform a reference-based computational correction for cell composition, and therefore to identify differential methylation patterns due to experience, or for the diagnosis of phenotypes that correlate between traits, such as hormone levels, trauma status and various mental health outcomes. CONCLUSION Specific sites that respond to adversity with altered methylation levels in either blood cells, keratinocytes or both can be identified by this rigorous approach, which will then be useful as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine L. Bearer
- Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Pathology MSC 08-4640, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA; Tel: 505-272-2404; Fax: 505-272-8084; E-mails: ;
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41
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Goodman SJ, Roubinov DS, Bush NR, Park M, Farré P, Emberly E, Hertzman C, Essex MJ, Kobor MS, Boyce WT. Children's biobehavioral reactivity to challenge predicts DNA methylation in adolescence and emerging adulthood. Dev Sci 2018; 22:e12739. [PMID: 30176105 PMCID: PMC6433477 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of research has documented associations between adverse childhood environments and DNA methylation, highlighting epigenetic processes as potential mechanisms through which early external contexts influence health across the life course. The present study tested a complementary hypothesis: indicators of children's early internal, biological, and behavioral responses to stressful challenges may also be linked to stable patterns of DNA methylation later in life. Children's autonomic nervous system reactivity, temperament, and mental health symptoms were prospectively assessed from infancy through early childhood, and principal components analysis (PCA) was applied to derive composites of biological and behavioral reactivity. Buccal epithelial cells were collected from participants at 15 and 18 years of age. Findings revealed an association between early life biobehavioral inhibition/disinhibition and DNA methylation across many genes. Notably, reactive, inhibited children were found to have decreased DNA methylation of the DLX5 and IGF2 genes at both time points, as compared to non‐reactive, disinhibited children. Results of the present study are provisional but suggest that the gene's profile of DNA methylation may constitute a biomarker of normative or potentially pathological differences in reactivity. Overall, findings provide a foundation for future research to explore relations among epigenetic processes and differences in both individual‐level biobehavioral risk and qualities of the early, external childhood environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Goodman
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Nicole R Bush
- Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, California.,Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Mina Park
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Pau Farré
- Physics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Eldon Emberly
- Physics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Clyde Hertzman
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Human Early Learning Partnership, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Marilyn J Essex
- Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Michael S Kobor
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Human Early Learning Partnership, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - W Thomas Boyce
- Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, California.,Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, California.,Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
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42
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Marzi SJ, Sugden K, Arseneault L, Belsky DW, Burrage J, Corcoran DL, Danese A, Fisher HL, Hannon E, Moffitt TE, Odgers CL, Pariante C, Poulton R, Williams BS, Wong CC, Mill J, Caspi A. Analysis of DNA Methylation in Young People: Limited Evidence for an Association Between Victimization Stress and Epigenetic Variation in Blood. Am J Psychiatry 2018; 175:517-529. [PMID: 29325449 PMCID: PMC5988939 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.17060693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE DNA methylation has been proposed as an epigenetic mechanism by which early-life experiences become "embedded" in the genome and alter transcriptional processes to compromise health. The authors sought to investigate whether early-life victimization stress is associated with genome-wide DNA methylation. METHOD The authors tested the hypothesis that victimization is associated with DNA methylation in the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Study, a nationally representative 1994-1995 birth cohort of 2,232 twins born in England and Wales and assessed at ages 5, 7, 10, 12, and 18 years. Multiple forms of victimization were ascertained in childhood and adolescence (including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse; neglect; exposure to intimate-partner violence; bullying; cyber-victimization; and crime). RESULTS Epigenome-wide analyses of polyvictimization across childhood and adolescence revealed few significant associations with DNA methylation in peripheral blood at age 18, but these analyses were confounded by tobacco smoking and/or did not survive co-twin control tests. Secondary analyses of specific forms of victimization revealed sparse associations with DNA methylation that did not replicate across different operationalizations of the same putative victimization experience. Hypothesis-driven analyses of six candidate genes in the stress response (NR3C1, FKBP5, BDNF, AVP, CRHR1, SLC6A4) did not reveal predicted associations with DNA methylation in probes annotated to these genes. CONCLUSIONS Findings from this epidemiological analysis of the epigenetic effects of early-life stress do not support the hypothesis of robust changes in DNA methylation in victimized young people. We need to come to terms with the possibility that epigenetic epidemiology is not yet well matched to experimental, nonhuman models in uncovering the biological embedding of stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J. Marzi
- From the Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London; the National and Specialist Clinic for Child Traumatic Stress and Anxiety Disorders, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London; the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Social Science Research Institute, and the Center for Genomic and
| | - Karen Sugden
- From the Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London; the National and Specialist Clinic for Child Traumatic Stress and Anxiety Disorders, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London; the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Social Science Research Institute, and the Center for Genomic and
| | - Louise Arseneault
- From the Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London; the National and Specialist Clinic for Child Traumatic Stress and Anxiety Disorders, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London; the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Social Science Research Institute, and the Center for Genomic and
| | - Daniel W. Belsky
- From the Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London; the National and Specialist Clinic for Child Traumatic Stress and Anxiety Disorders, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London; the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Social Science Research Institute, and the Center for Genomic and
| | - Joe Burrage
- From the Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London; the National and Specialist Clinic for Child Traumatic Stress and Anxiety Disorders, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London; the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Social Science Research Institute, and the Center for Genomic and
| | - David L. Corcoran
- From the Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London; the National and Specialist Clinic for Child Traumatic Stress and Anxiety Disorders, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London; the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Social Science Research Institute, and the Center for Genomic and
| | - Andrea Danese
- From the Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London; the National and Specialist Clinic for Child Traumatic Stress and Anxiety Disorders, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London; the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Social Science Research Institute, and the Center for Genomic and
| | - Helen L. Fisher
- From the Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London; the National and Specialist Clinic for Child Traumatic Stress and Anxiety Disorders, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London; the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Social Science Research Institute, and the Center for Genomic and
| | - Eilis Hannon
- From the Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London; the National and Specialist Clinic for Child Traumatic Stress and Anxiety Disorders, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London; the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Social Science Research Institute, and the Center for Genomic and
| | - Terrie E. Moffitt
- From the Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London; the National and Specialist Clinic for Child Traumatic Stress and Anxiety Disorders, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London; the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Social Science Research Institute, and the Center for Genomic and
| | - Candice L. Odgers
- From the Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London; the National and Specialist Clinic for Child Traumatic Stress and Anxiety Disorders, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London; the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Social Science Research Institute, and the Center for Genomic and
| | - Carmine Pariante
- From the Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London; the National and Specialist Clinic for Child Traumatic Stress and Anxiety Disorders, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London; the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Social Science Research Institute, and the Center for Genomic and
| | - Richie Poulton
- From the Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London; the National and Specialist Clinic for Child Traumatic Stress and Anxiety Disorders, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London; the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Social Science Research Institute, and the Center for Genomic and
| | - Benjamin S. Williams
- From the Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London; the National and Specialist Clinic for Child Traumatic Stress and Anxiety Disorders, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London; the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Social Science Research Institute, and the Center for Genomic and
| | - Chloe C.Y. Wong
- From the Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London; the National and Specialist Clinic for Child Traumatic Stress and Anxiety Disorders, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London; the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Social Science Research Institute, and the Center for Genomic and
| | - Jonathan Mill
- From the Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London; the National and Specialist Clinic for Child Traumatic Stress and Anxiety Disorders, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London; the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Social Science Research Institute, and the Center for Genomic and
| | - Avshalom Caspi
- From the Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London; the National and Specialist Clinic for Child Traumatic Stress and Anxiety Disorders, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London; the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Social Science Research Institute, and the Center for Genomic and
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Barker ED, Walton E, Cecil CAM. Annual Research Review: DNA methylation as a mediator in the association between risk exposure and child and adolescent psychopathology. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2018; 59:303-322. [PMID: 28736860 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA methylation (DNAm) is a potential mechanism for propagating the effects of environmental exposures on child and adolescent mental health. In recent years, this field has experienced steady growth. METHODS We provide a strategic review of the current child and adolescent literature to evaluate evidence for a mediating role of DNAm in the link between environmental risks and psychopathological outcomes, with a focus on internalising and externalising difficulties. RESULTS Based on the studies presented, we conclude that there is preliminary evidence to support that (a) environmental factors, such as diet, neurotoxic exposures and stress, influence offspring DNAm, and that (b) variability in DNAm, in turn, is associated with child and adolescent psychopathology. Overall, very few studies have examined DNAm in relation to both exposures and outcomes, and almost all analyses have been correlational in nature. CONCLUSIONS DNAm holds potential as a biomarker indexing both environmental risk exposure and vulnerability for child psychopathology. However, the extent to which it may represent a causal mediator is not clear. In future, collection of prospective risk exposure, DNAm and outcomes - as well as functional characterisation of epigenetic findings - will assist in determining the role of DNAm in the link between risk exposure and psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward D Barker
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Esther Walton
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.,Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Charlotte A M Cecil
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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44
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Abstract
Purpose of Review Traumatic stress has profound impacts on many domains of life, yet the mechanisms that confer risk for or resilience to the development of traumatic stress-related psychopathologies are still very much under investigation. The current review highlights recent developments in the field of traumatic stress epigenetics in humans. Recent Findings Recent results reveal traumatic stress-related epigenetic dysregulation in neural, endocrine, and immune system genes and associated networks. Emerging work combining imaging with epigenetic measures holds promise for addressing the correspondence between peripheral and central effects of traumatic stress. A growing literature is also documenting the transgenerational effects of prenatal stress exposures in humans. Summary Moving forward, increasing focus on epigenetic marks of traumatic stress in CNS tissue will create a clearer picture of the relevance of peripheral measures; PTSD brain banks will help in this regard. Similarly, leveraging multigenerational birth cohort data will do much to clarify the extent of transgenerational epigenetic effects of traumatic stress. Greater efforts should be made towards developing prospective studies with longitudinal design.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R Pfeiffer
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Leon Mutesa
- Center for Human Genetics, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Monica Uddin
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, Urbana, IL, USA.,Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
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45
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Lussier AA, Morin AM, MacIsaac JL, Salmon J, Weinberg J, Reynolds JN, Pavlidis P, Chudley AE, Kobor MS. DNA methylation as a predictor of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Clin Epigenetics 2018; 10:5. [PMID: 29344313 PMCID: PMC5767049 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-018-0439-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a developmental disorder that manifests through a range of cognitive, adaptive, physiological, and neurobiological deficits resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure. Although the North American prevalence is currently estimated at 2-5%, FASD has proven difficult to identify in the absence of the overt physical features characteristic of fetal alcohol syndrome. As interventions may have the greatest impact at an early age, accurate biomarkers are needed to identify children at risk for FASD. Building on our previous work identifying distinct DNA methylation patterns in children and adolescents with FASD, we have attempted to validate these associations in a different clinical cohort and to use our DNA methylation signature to develop a possible epigenetic predictor of FASD. Methods Genome-wide DNA methylation patterns were analyzed using the Illumina HumanMethylation450 array in the buccal epithelial cells of a cohort of 48 individuals aged 3.5-18 (24 FASD cases, 24 controls). The DNA methylation predictor of FASD was built using a stochastic gradient boosting model on our previously published dataset FASD cases and controls (GSE80261). The predictor was tested on the current dataset and an independent dataset of 48 autism spectrum disorder cases and 48 controls (GSE50759). Results We validated findings from our previous study that identified a DNA methylation signature of FASD, replicating the altered DNA methylation levels of 161/648 CpGs in this independent cohort, which may represent a robust signature of FASD in the epigenome. We also generated a predictive model of FASD using machine learning in a subset of our previously published cohort of 179 samples (83 FASD cases, 96 controls), which was tested in this novel cohort of 48 samples and resulted in a moderately accurate predictor of FASD status. Upon testing the algorithm in an independent cohort of individuals with autism spectrum disorder, we did not detect any bias towards autism, sex, age, or ethnicity. Conclusion These findings further support the association of FASD with distinct DNA methylation patterns, while providing a possible entry point towards the development of epigenetic biomarkers of FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre A. Lussier
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia Canada
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia Canada
| | - Alexander M. Morin
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia Canada
| | - Julia L. MacIsaac
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia Canada
| | - Jenny Salmon
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada
| | - Joanne Weinberg
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia Canada
| | - James N. Reynolds
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario Canada
| | - Paul Pavlidis
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columnbia Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia Canada
| | - Albert E. Chudley
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada
| | - Michael S. Kobor
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia Canada
- Human Early Learning Partnership, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia Canada
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46
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DNA methylome variation in a perinatal nurse-visitation program that reduces child maltreatment: a 27-year follow-up. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:15. [PMID: 29317599 PMCID: PMC5802588 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-017-0063-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
This study reveals the influence of child maltreatment on DNA methylation across the genome and provides the first evidence that a psychosocial intervention program, the Nurse Family Partnership (NFP), which targets mothers at risk for abusive parenting, associates with variation in the DNA methylome in adult offspring. The 188 participants were born to women randomly assigned to control (n = 99) or nurse-visited intervention groups (n = 89) and provided blood samples and a diagnostic interview at age 27 years. Interindividual variation in the blood DNA methylome was described using principal components (PC) scores derived from principal component analysis and showed that the NFP program (PC10: p = 0.029) and a history of abuse/neglect (PC1: p = 0.029, PC2: p = 0.009) significantly associated with DNA methylome variation at 27 years of age independent of gender, ancestry, cellular heterogeneity, and a polygenic risk index for major psychiatric disorders. The magnitude of the association between child maltreatment and DNA methylation was reduced when accounting for lifestyle factors, including smoking. These findings reflect the sustained impact of both childhood adversity as well as intervention programs that target such adversity on the epigenome but highlight the need for prospective longitudinal studies of DNA methylome variation in the context of early intervention programs.
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Jones MJ, Moore SR, Kobor MS. Principles and Challenges of Applying Epigenetic Epidemiology to Psychology. Annu Rev Psychol 2018; 69:459-485. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-122414-033653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Meaghan J. Jones
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada;, ,
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada
| | - Sarah R. Moore
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada;, ,
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada
| | - Michael S. Kobor
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada;, ,
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada
- Human Early Learning Partnership, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
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48
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Epigenetics and Early Life Adversity: Current Evidence and Considerations for Epigenetic Studies in the Context of Child Maltreatment. THE BIOLOGY OF EARLY LIFE STRESS 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-72589-5_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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49
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Hao G, Youssef NA, Davis CL, Su S. The role of DNA methylation in the association between childhood adversity and cardiometabolic disease. Int J Cardiol 2017; 255:168-174. [PMID: 29288057 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2017.12.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Revised: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/16/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Growing evidence suggests that adverse environmental stimuli, especially during sensitive periods in early life, may lead to cardiometabolic disease in later life. However, the underlying biological mechanisms remain a mystery. Recent studies inferred that epigenetic modifications are likely involved. We review recent studies, primarily focused on the findings from human studies, to indicate the role of DNA methylation in the associations between childhood adversity and cardiometabolic disease in adulthood. In particular, we focused on DNA methylation modifications in genes regulating the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis as well as the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Hao
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States.
| | - Nagy A Youssef
- Department of Psychiatry & Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States.
| | - Catherine L Davis
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Georgia Prevention Institute, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States.
| | - Shaoyong Su
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States.
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50
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Abstract
AbstractAnimal models of early postnatal mother–infant interactions have highlighted the importance of tactile contact for biobehavioral outcomes via the modification of DNA methylation (DNAm). The role of normative variation in contact in early human development has yet to be explored. In an effort to translate the animal work on tactile contact to humans, we applied a naturalistic daily diary strategy to assess the link between maternal contact with infants and epigenetic signatures in children 4–5 years later, with respect to multiple levels of child-level factors, including genetic variation and infant distress. We first investigated DNAm at four candidate genes: the glucocorticoid receptor gene, nuclear receptor subfamily 3, group C, member 1 (NR3C1), μ-opioid receptor M1 (OPRM1) and oxytocin receptor (OXTR; related to the neurobiology of social bonds), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF; involved in postnatal plasticity). Although no candidate gene DNAm sites significantly associated with early postnatal contact, when we next examined DNAm across the genome, differentially methylated regions were identified between high and low contact groups. Using a different application of epigenomic information, we also quantified epigenetic age, and report that for infants who received low contact from caregivers, greater infant distress was associated with younger epigenetic age. These results suggested that early postnatal contact has lasting associations with child biology.
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