Children and adolescents exposed to maltreatment already exhibit epigenetic patterns suggestive of heightened low-grade inflammation

Introduction Childhood maltreatment (CM) is one of the best described environmental risk factors for developing any psychiatric disorder, while it also confers increased odds for obesity, cardiometabolic disorders and all-cause mortality. Inflammation has been suggested to mediate the widespread cl...

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Main Authors: H. Palma-Gudiel, L. Marques Feixa, S. Romero, M. Rapado-Castro, H. Blasco-Fontecilla, I. Zorrilla, M. Martín, Á. Castro Quintas, J.L. Monteserin-Garcia, E. Font, M. Ramirez, D. Moreno, M. Marín-Vila, N. Moreno, E. Binder, L. Fañanas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2022-06-01
Series:European Psychiatry
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822002231/type/journal_article
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author H. Palma-Gudiel
L. Marques Feixa
S. Romero
M. Rapado-Castro
H. Blasco-Fontecilla
I. Zorrilla
M. Martín
Á. Castro Quintas
J.L. Monteserin-Garcia
E. Font
M. Ramirez
D. Moreno
M. Marín-Vila
N. Moreno
E. Binder
L. Fañanas
author_facet H. Palma-Gudiel
L. Marques Feixa
S. Romero
M. Rapado-Castro
H. Blasco-Fontecilla
I. Zorrilla
M. Martín
Á. Castro Quintas
J.L. Monteserin-Garcia
E. Font
M. Ramirez
D. Moreno
M. Marín-Vila
N. Moreno
E. Binder
L. Fañanas
author_sort H. Palma-Gudiel
collection DOAJ
description Introduction Childhood maltreatment (CM) is one of the best described environmental risk factors for developing any psychiatric disorder, while it also confers increased odds for obesity, cardiometabolic disorders and all-cause mortality. Inflammation has been suggested to mediate the widespread clinical effects of CM. Previously, Ligthart et al. (2016) identified a polyepigenetic signature of circulating CRP levels, a measure of chronic low-grade inflammation, that has been reliably associated with a wide array of complex disorders. The study of this biomarker could dilucidate the mechanistic relationship between CM and psychiatric outcomes. Objectives Thus, CRP-associated epigenetic modifications were explored regarding proximal exposure to CM. Methods Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 157 children and adolescents (7 to 17 years old). Exposure to CM was assessed following the TASSCV criteria. Genome-wide DNA methylation was assessed by means of the EPIC array. Fifty-two out of the 58 original CRP-associated CpG sites surpassed quality control and were included in the analysis. Age, sex, psychopathological status and cell type proportions were included as covariates. Results DNA methylation at 12 out of 52 CpG sites (23%) was significantly associated with exposure to CM (p < .05); 8 of these associations survived correction for multiple testing (q < .05). Conclusions This is the first study to date to explore the relationship between childhood maltreatment and an epigenetic signature of chronic low-grade inflammation. Our findings underscore the presence of immune dysregulation early after exposure to CM; further studies are needed to assess the long-term clinical implications of this signature in psychiatric patients. Disclosure No significant relationships.
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spelling doaj.art-0ebaaa0995344e17a6a8be4509f2aeef2023-11-17T05:06:35ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852022-06-0165S71S7110.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.223Children and adolescents exposed to maltreatment already exhibit epigenetic patterns suggestive of heightened low-grade inflammationH. Palma-Gudiel0L. Marques Feixa1S. Romero2M. Rapado-Castro3H. Blasco-Fontecilla4I. Zorrilla5M. Martín6Á. Castro Quintas7J.L. Monteserin-Garcia8E. Font9M. Ramirez10D. Moreno11M. Marín-Vila12N. Moreno13E. Binder14L. Fañanas15Centre for Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto De Salut Carlos Iii, Madrid, SpainCentre for Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto De Salut Carlos Iii, Madrid, Spain University of Barcelona, Evolutionary Biology, Ecology And Environmental Sciences, Barcelona, SpainCentre for Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto De Salut Carlos Iii, Madrid, Spain Hospital Clínic, Department Of Child And Adolescent Psychiatry And Psychology, Barcelona, SpainCentre for Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto De Salut Carlos Iii, Madrid, Spain Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Department Of Child And Adolescent Psychiatry, Madrid, SpainCentre for Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto De Salut Carlos Iii, Madrid, Spain Hospital Puerta de Hierro, Department Of Child And Adolescent Psychiatry, Majadahona, SpainCentre for Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto De Salut Carlos Iii, Madrid, Spain Hospital Santiago Apostol, Department Of Psychiatry, Vitoria-Gasteiz, SpainHospital Benito Menni, Unitat De Crisis D’adolescents, Sant Boi, SpainCentre for Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto De Salut Carlos Iii, Madrid, Spain University of Barcelona, Evolutionary Biology, Ecology And Environmental Sciences, Barcelona, SpainCentre for Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto De Salut Carlos Iii, Madrid, Spain University of Barcelona, Evolutionary Biology, Ecology And Environmental Sciences, Barcelona, SpainCentre for Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto De Salut Carlos Iii, Madrid, Spain Hospital Clínic, Department Of Child And Adolescent Psychiatry And Psychology, Barcelona, SpainCentre for Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto De Salut Carlos Iii, Madrid, Spain Galdakao Mental Health Services, Child And Adolescent Mental Health, Galdakao, SpainCentre for Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto De Salut Carlos Iii, Madrid, Spain Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Department Of Child And Adolescent Psychiatry, Madrid, SpainCentre for Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto De Salut Carlos Iii, Madrid, Spain Hospital Puerta de Hierro, Department Of Child And Adolescent Psychiatry, Majadahona, SpainCentre for Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto De Salut Carlos Iii, Madrid, Spain University of Barcelona, Evolutionary Biology, Ecology And Environmental Sciences, Barcelona, SpainMax-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Translational Research In Psychiatry, Munich, GermanyCentre for Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto De Salut Carlos Iii, Madrid, Spain University of Barcelona, Evolutionary Biology, Ecology And Environmental Sciences, Barcelona, Spain Introduction Childhood maltreatment (CM) is one of the best described environmental risk factors for developing any psychiatric disorder, while it also confers increased odds for obesity, cardiometabolic disorders and all-cause mortality. Inflammation has been suggested to mediate the widespread clinical effects of CM. Previously, Ligthart et al. (2016) identified a polyepigenetic signature of circulating CRP levels, a measure of chronic low-grade inflammation, that has been reliably associated with a wide array of complex disorders. The study of this biomarker could dilucidate the mechanistic relationship between CM and psychiatric outcomes. Objectives Thus, CRP-associated epigenetic modifications were explored regarding proximal exposure to CM. Methods Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 157 children and adolescents (7 to 17 years old). Exposure to CM was assessed following the TASSCV criteria. Genome-wide DNA methylation was assessed by means of the EPIC array. Fifty-two out of the 58 original CRP-associated CpG sites surpassed quality control and were included in the analysis. Age, sex, psychopathological status and cell type proportions were included as covariates. Results DNA methylation at 12 out of 52 CpG sites (23%) was significantly associated with exposure to CM (p < .05); 8 of these associations survived correction for multiple testing (q < .05). Conclusions This is the first study to date to explore the relationship between childhood maltreatment and an epigenetic signature of chronic low-grade inflammation. Our findings underscore the presence of immune dysregulation early after exposure to CM; further studies are needed to assess the long-term clinical implications of this signature in psychiatric patients. Disclosure No significant relationships. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822002231/type/journal_articlechildhood maltreatmentchronic low-grade inflammationepigeneticsDNA methylation
spellingShingle H. Palma-Gudiel
L. Marques Feixa
S. Romero
M. Rapado-Castro
H. Blasco-Fontecilla
I. Zorrilla
M. Martín
Á. Castro Quintas
J.L. Monteserin-Garcia
E. Font
M. Ramirez
D. Moreno
M. Marín-Vila
N. Moreno
E. Binder
L. Fañanas
Children and adolescents exposed to maltreatment already exhibit epigenetic patterns suggestive of heightened low-grade inflammation
European Psychiatry
childhood maltreatment
chronic low-grade inflammation
epigenetics
DNA methylation
title Children and adolescents exposed to maltreatment already exhibit epigenetic patterns suggestive of heightened low-grade inflammation
title_full Children and adolescents exposed to maltreatment already exhibit epigenetic patterns suggestive of heightened low-grade inflammation
title_fullStr Children and adolescents exposed to maltreatment already exhibit epigenetic patterns suggestive of heightened low-grade inflammation
title_full_unstemmed Children and adolescents exposed to maltreatment already exhibit epigenetic patterns suggestive of heightened low-grade inflammation
title_short Children and adolescents exposed to maltreatment already exhibit epigenetic patterns suggestive of heightened low-grade inflammation
title_sort children and adolescents exposed to maltreatment already exhibit epigenetic patterns suggestive of heightened low grade inflammation
topic childhood maltreatment
chronic low-grade inflammation
epigenetics
DNA methylation
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822002231/type/journal_article
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