Intergenerational effects of maternal post-traumatic stress disorder on offspring epigenetic patterns and cortisol levels

Line Hjort; Feride Rushiti; Shr-Jie Wang; Peter Fransquet; Sebahate P Krasniqi; Selvi I Çarkaxhiu; Dafina Arifaj; Vjosa Devaja Xhemaili; Mimoza Salihu; Nazmie A Leku; Joanne Ryan

doi:10.2217/epi-2021-0015

Intergenerational effects of maternal post-traumatic stress disorder on offspring epigenetic patterns and cortisol levels

Line Hjort, Feride Rushiti, Shr-Jie Wang, Peter Fransquet, Sebahate P Krasniqi, Selvi I Çarkaxhiu, Dafina Arifaj, Vjosa Devaja Xhemaili, Mimoza Salihu, Nazmie A Leku, Joanne Ryan

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

41 Citations (Scopus)

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.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	967-980
Number of pages	14
Journal	Epigenomics
Volume	13
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.2217/epi-2021-0015
Publication status	Published - Jun 2021

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
SDG 5 Gender Equality
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Keywords

cortisol
DNA methylation
epigenetics
intergenerational
maternal stress
offspring
PTSD

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10.2217/epi-2021-0015

Cite this

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title = "Intergenerational effects of maternal post-traumatic stress disorder on offspring epigenetic patterns and cortisol levels",

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.",

keywords = "cortisol, DNA methylation, epigenetics, intergenerational, maternal stress, offspring, PTSD",

author = "Line Hjort and Feride Rushiti and Shr-Jie Wang and Peter Fransquet and \{P Krasniqi\}, Sebahate and \{I {\c C}arkaxhiu\}, Selvi and Dafina Arifaj and Xhemaili, \{Vjosa Devaja\} and Mimoza Salihu and \{A Leku\}, Nazmie and Joanne Ryan",

note = "Funding Information: This study was funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office through the British Embassy in Pristina and the Danish Institute against Torture (Denmark). L Hjort is funded by the Danish Diabetes Academy supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. J Ryan is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council Research Leader Fellowship (grant no.: 1135727). The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

year = "2021",

month = jun,

doi = "10.2217/epi-2021-0015",

language = "English",

volume = "13",

pages = "967--980",

journal = "Epigenomics",

issn = "1750-1911",

publisher = "Future Medicine Ltd.",

number = "12",

}

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T1 - Intergenerational effects of maternal post-traumatic stress disorder on offspring epigenetic patterns and cortisol levels

AU - Hjort, Line

AU - Rushiti, Feride

AU - Wang, Shr-Jie

AU - Fransquet, Peter

AU - P Krasniqi, Sebahate

AU - I Çarkaxhiu, Selvi

AU - Arifaj, Dafina

AU - Xhemaili, Vjosa Devaja

AU - Salihu, Mimoza

AU - A Leku, Nazmie

AU - Ryan, Joanne

N1 - Funding Information: This study was funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office through the British Embassy in Pristina and the Danish Institute against Torture (Denmark). L Hjort is funded by the Danish Diabetes Academy supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. J Ryan is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council Research Leader Fellowship (grant no.: 1135727). The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2021/6

Y1 - 2021/6

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - cortisol

KW - DNA methylation

KW - epigenetics

KW - intergenerational

KW - maternal stress

KW - offspring

KW - PTSD

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DO - 10.2217/epi-2021-0015

M3 - Article

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AN - SCOPUS:85106526832

SN - 1750-1911

VL - 13

SP - 967

EP - 980

JO - Epigenomics

JF - Epigenomics

IS - 12

ER -

Intergenerational effects of maternal post-traumatic stress disorder on offspring epigenetic patterns and cortisol levels

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

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Comprehensive risk prediction models and presymptomatic biomarkers for dementia

Cite this

Intergenerational effects of maternal post-traumatic stress disorder on offspring epigenetic patterns and cortisol levels

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

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Comprehensive risk prediction models and presymptomatic biomarkers for dementia

Cite this