Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, 7505, South Africa.
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 70104, Freiburg, Germany.
World J Biol Psychiatry. 2020 Sep;21(7):513-528. doi: 10.1080/15622975.2019.1584331. Epub 2019 Apr 2.
Childhood emotional neglect (EN) is a predictor for the development of affective disorders. Oxytocin (OXT) may mediate the interplay between EN and changes in stress biological systems, brain development, and mental health outcomes. We investigated, in a cross-sectional study, the associations between EN, (epi)genetic variation in the OXT receptor () gene, and amygdalar and hippocampal volumes, two brain regions implicated in emotional processing. We recruited 63 Caucasian South African adults (35 women) with and without social anxiety disorder. Childhood EN was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. rs53576 and rs2254298 genotypes, as well as methylation status, was determined using DNA purified from whole blood. Bilateral amygdalar and hippocampal volumes were determined by structural magnetic resonance imaging. The relationships between these variables were investigated using linear regression. The interaction of the rs2254298 A risk allele and EN was nominally associated with reduced left hippocampal volume. The rs2254298 A risk allele was independently associated with reduced bilateral amygdalar volumes. We found no association between EN, methylation and amygdalar or hippocampal volumes. The rs53576 GG risk genotype was, however, associated with decreased methylation. The rs2254298 A allele may increase susceptibility to the structural brain effects of EN.
儿童情感忽视（EN）是情感障碍发展的预测因素。催产素（OXT）可能介导 EN 与应激生物系统、大脑发育和心理健康结果变化之间的相互作用。我们在一项横断面研究中调查了 EN、催产素受体（）基因中的（ epi ）遗传变异，以及杏仁核和海马体体积之间的关联，这两个大脑区域与情绪处理有关。我们招募了 63 名有和没有社交焦虑障碍的南非白人成年人（35 名女性）。使用儿童创伤问卷评估儿童期情感忽视。使用从全血中纯化的 DNA 确定 rs53576 和 rs2254298 基因型以及甲基化状态。通过结构磁共振成像确定双侧杏仁核和海马体体积。使用线性回归研究这些变量之间的关系。rs2254298 A 风险等位基因与 EN 的相互作用与左海马体体积减少有显著相关性。rs2254298 A 风险等位基因与双侧杏仁核体积减少独立相关。我们没有发现 EN、甲基化和杏仁核或海马体体积之间的关联。然而，rs53576 GG 风险基因型与减少的甲基化有关。rs2254298 A 等位基因可能会增加对 EN 结构脑效应的易感性。
