TY - JOUR
T1 - Hyperarousal Symptom Severity in Women with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Might Be Associated with LINE-1 Hypomethylation in Childhood Sexual Abuse Victims
AU - Carvalho, Carolina Muniz
AU - Coimbra, Bruno Messina
AU - Bugiga, Amanda
AU - Ferri Marques, Diego
AU - Kiyomi Ota, Vanessa
AU - Mello, Andrea Feijó
AU - Mello, Marcelo Feijó
AU - Belangero, Sintia Iole
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 S. Karger AG, Basel. Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
PY - 2023/2/15
Y1 - 2023/2/15
N2 - INTRODUCTION: Sexual assault and a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) development. Long interspersed nuclear elements (LINE-1) are transposable elements, and their methylation is used to infer DNA global methylation. DNA methylation can be affected by trauma exposition which in turn would be associated with PTSD. Thus, we investigated if the LINE-1 methylation pattern is related to PTSD symptoms in females with a history of CSA.METHODS: This is a case-control study that examined, at baseline (W1), 64 women victims of sexual assault diagnosed with PTSD and 31 patients with PTSD who completed the 1-year follow-up (W2). Participants were categorized into two groups according to the presence of CSA (PTSDCSA+: NW1 = 19, NW2 = 10; PTSDCSA-: NW1 = 45, NW2 = 21). PTSD symptoms (re-experiencing, avoidance, hyperarousal, alterations in cognition/mood) were assessed using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale, and the history of CSA was assessed by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. LINE-1 methylation was measured in three sites (CpG1, CpG2, CpG3) located in the 5'UTR region using bisulfite conversion followed by pyrosequencing. Linear regression models were performed to test the relation between LINE-1 CpG sites methylation and PTSD symptoms.RESULTS: We found a negative association between CpG2 methylation and hyperarousal symptoms among those in the PTSDCSA+ group in W1 (adjusted p = 0.003) compared to the PTSDCSA- group (p > 0.05). Still, no association was observed between other PTSD symptoms and other CpG sites. Further, in the longitudinal analysis, LINE-1 hypomethylation was no longer observed in PTSD participants exposed to CSA.CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that LINE-1 methylation may help understand the relationship between trauma and PTSD. However, more studies are needed to investigate LINE-1 as an epigenetic marker of psychiatric disorders.
AB - INTRODUCTION: Sexual assault and a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) development. Long interspersed nuclear elements (LINE-1) are transposable elements, and their methylation is used to infer DNA global methylation. DNA methylation can be affected by trauma exposition which in turn would be associated with PTSD. Thus, we investigated if the LINE-1 methylation pattern is related to PTSD symptoms in females with a history of CSA.METHODS: This is a case-control study that examined, at baseline (W1), 64 women victims of sexual assault diagnosed with PTSD and 31 patients with PTSD who completed the 1-year follow-up (W2). Participants were categorized into two groups according to the presence of CSA (PTSDCSA+: NW1 = 19, NW2 = 10; PTSDCSA-: NW1 = 45, NW2 = 21). PTSD symptoms (re-experiencing, avoidance, hyperarousal, alterations in cognition/mood) were assessed using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale, and the history of CSA was assessed by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. LINE-1 methylation was measured in three sites (CpG1, CpG2, CpG3) located in the 5'UTR region using bisulfite conversion followed by pyrosequencing. Linear regression models were performed to test the relation between LINE-1 CpG sites methylation and PTSD symptoms.RESULTS: We found a negative association between CpG2 methylation and hyperarousal symptoms among those in the PTSDCSA+ group in W1 (adjusted p = 0.003) compared to the PTSDCSA- group (p > 0.05). Still, no association was observed between other PTSD symptoms and other CpG sites. Further, in the longitudinal analysis, LINE-1 hypomethylation was no longer observed in PTSD participants exposed to CSA.CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that LINE-1 methylation may help understand the relationship between trauma and PTSD. However, more studies are needed to investigate LINE-1 as an epigenetic marker of psychiatric disorders.
KW - Childhood sexual abuse
KW - Hyperarousalsymptom
KW - LINE-1 methylation
KW - Posttraumaticstress disorder
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85163869481&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1159/000529698
DO - 10.1159/000529698
M3 - Article
C2 - 37034826
SN - 2673-3005
VL - 9
SP - 44
EP - 56
JO - Complex Psychiatry
JF - Complex Psychiatry
IS - 1-4
ER -