Drury Stacy S, Mabile Emily, Brett Zoë H, Esteves Kyle, Jones Edward, Shirtcliff Elizabeth A, Theall Katherine P
Department of Psychiatry, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana;
Department of Global Community Health, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana; and.
Pediatrics. 2014 Jul;134(1):e128-37. doi: 10.1542/peds.2013-3415. Epub 2014 Jun 16.
To enhance the understanding of biological mechanisms connecting early adversity and negative health, we examine the association between family interpersonal violence and disruption and telomere length in youth. These specific exposures were selected because of their established links with negative health consequences across the life-course.
Children, age 5 to 15, were recruited from the greater New Orleans area, and exposure to family disruption and violence was assessed through caregiver report. Telomere length, from buccal cell DNA (buccal telomere length [bTL]), was determined by using monochrome multiplex quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The association between bTL and adversity exposure was tested (n = 80).
Cumulative exposure to interpersonal violence and family disruption was correlated with bTL. Controlling for other sociodemographic factors, bTL was significantly shorter in children with higher exposure to family violence and disruption. Witnessing family violence exerted a particularly potent impact. A significant gender interaction was found (β = -0.0086, SE = 0.0031, z test= -2.79, P = .0053) and analysis revealed the effect only in girls.
bTL is a molecular biomarker of adversity and allostatic load that is detectable in childhood. The present results extend previous studies by demonstrating that telomeres are sensitive to adversity within the overarching family domain. These findings suggest that the family ecology may be an important target for interventions to reduce the biological impact of adversity in the lives of children.
为了加深对连接早期逆境与负面健康的生物学机制的理解，我们研究了青少年家庭人际暴力和家庭破裂与端粒长度之间的关联。选择这些特定暴露因素是因为它们在整个生命过程中与负面健康后果之间已确立的联系。
从大新奥尔良地区招募了5至15岁的儿童，通过照顾者报告评估家庭破裂和暴力暴露情况。使用单色多重定量实时聚合酶链反应测定颊细胞DNA的端粒长度（颊端粒长度[bTL]）。测试了bTL与逆境暴露之间的关联（n = 80）。
人际暴力和家庭破裂的累积暴露与bTL相关。在控制其他社会人口学因素后，遭受更高家庭暴力和破裂暴露的儿童的bTL明显更短。目睹家庭暴力产生了特别强烈的影响。发现了显著的性别交互作用（β = -0.0086，标准误 = 0.0031，z检验 = -2.79，P = 0.0053），分析显示仅在女孩中有此效应。
bTL是一种在童年期可检测到的逆境和应激负荷的分子生物标志物。本研究结果扩展了先前的研究，表明端粒对整个家庭领域内的逆境敏感。这些发现表明，家庭生态可能是减少逆境对儿童生活生物学影响的干预措施的重要目标。
