Epigenetic effects of early life on adult pathology
Final Report Abstract
Most important results: A) Evidence that the proinflammatory T Cell status is associated with early life adversity, and that CMV-infections may mediate aging/senesce processes of T-cells in subjects who experienced early life adversity. B) The influence of early life adversity on adult aging/senesce and activation processes on immunological blood cells cannot be explained by a different functionality of the glucocorticoid-receptor gene (GR). C) Early life adversity is associated with a blunted stress response of the hypothalamuspituitary-adrenal axis in adulthood, but not with reduced stress reactivity of the autonomic nervous system, nor reduced subjective experience of stress. D) Studying the affective startle modulation suggests that separation from one parent by parental divorce in early childhood is associated with altered emotional processing of visual stimuli which are related to early childhood. E) The bilateral feet version of the cold pressor test is evoking substantial endocrine, cardiovascular, autonomic, and subjective stress responses. The combination of the bilateral feet cold pressor test with the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task is feasible, valid and reliable.
Publications
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(2020) Glucocorticoid receptor signaling in leukocytes after early life adversity. Development and psychopathology 32 (3) 853–863
Elwenspoek, Martha M. C.; Hengesch, Xenia; Leenen, Fleur A. D.; Sias, Krystel; Fernandes, Sara Beatriz; Schaan, Violetta K.; Mériaux, Sophie B.; Schmitz, Stephanie; Bonnemberger, Fanny; Schächinger, Hartmut; Vögele, Claus; Muller, Claude P.; Turner, Jonat
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Enhanced startle reflexivity during presentation of visual nurture cues in young adults who experienced parental divorce in early childhood. Int J Psychophysiol 2017; 120: 78-85
Hengesch X, Larra MF, Finke JB, Blumenthal TD, Schächinger H
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Proinflammatory T Cell Status Associated with Early Life Adversity. J Immunol 2017; 199: 4046–4055
Elwenspoek MMC, Hengesch X, Leenen FAD, Schritz A, Sias K, Schaan VK, Mériaux SB, Schmitz S, Bonnemberger F, Schächinger H, Vögele C, Turner JD, Muller CP
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T Cell Immunosenescence after Early Life Adversity: Association with Cytomegalovirus Infection. Front Immunol 2017; 8: 1263
Elwenspoek MMC, Sias K, Hengesch X, Schaan VK, Leenen FAD, Adams P, Mériaux SB, Schmitz S, Bonnemberger F, Ewen A, Schächinger H, Vögele C, Muller CP, Turner JD
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The effects of early life adversity on the immune system. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 82: 140-154
Elwenspoek MMC, Kuehn A, Muller CP, Turner JD
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Blunted endocrine response to a combined physical-cognitive stressor in adults with early life adversity. Child Abuse Negl 2018
Hengesch X, Elwenspoek MMC, Schaan VK, Larra MF, Finke JB, Zhang X, Bachmann P, Turner JD, Vögele C, Muller CP, Schächinger H
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Validation of an automated bilateral feet cold pressor test. Int J Psychophysiol 2018; 124: 62-70
Bachmann P, Zhang X, Larra MF, Rebeck D, Schönbein K, Koch KP, Schächinger H
