Citation

Hjort L, Rushiti F, Wang SJ, Fransquet P, Krasniqi SP, Çarkaxhiu SI, Arifaj D, Xhemaili VD, Salihu M, Leku NA, Ryan J. Epigenomics 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Future Medicine)

DOI

10.2217/epi-2021-0015

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

AIM: To investigate the association between maternal post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during pregnancy and offspring DNA methylation and cortisol levels. Materials & methods: Blood genome-wide DNA methylation and cortisol was measured in the youngest child of 117 women who experienced sexual violence/torture during the Kosovo war.

RESULTS: Seventy-two percent of women had PTSD symptoms during pregnancy. Their children had higher cortisol levels and differential methylation at candidate genes (NR3C1, HTR3A and BNDF). No methylation differences reached epigenome-wide corrected significance levels.

CONCLUSION: Identifying the biological processes whereby the negative effects of trauma are passed across generations and defining groups at high risk is a key step to breaking the intergenerational transmission of the effects of mental disorders.

Language: en

Keywords

PTSD; cortisol; DNA methylation; epigenetics; intergenerational; maternal stress; offspring