Exposure to Violence Accelerates Epigenetic Aging in Children

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Tanja Jovanovic, Emory University; L. Alexander Vance, Emory University; Dorthie Cross, Emory University; Anna K. Knight, Genet & Mol Biol Program; Varun Kilaru, Emory University; Vasiliki Michopoulos, Emory University; Torsten Klengel, Emory University; Alicia K Smith, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2017-08-21
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2017 The Author(s).
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-09235-9
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Scientific Reports
• ISSN: 2045-2322
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 8962
• End Page: 8962
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported by funding from NIH (R01 MH100122, R01 HD071982, K12 HD085850 and R21MH106902), and NARSAD awards from Brain & Behavior Research Foundation.
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Science & Technology - Other Topics; RESPONSES; PROFILES; METHYLATION; VETERANS; PTSD; POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER; CHILDHOOD; AGE; HEART-RATE-VARIABILITY; Multidisciplinary Sciences; DIAGNOSIS
• Research Categories: Psychology, Behavioral; Biology, Genetics

Abstract

Epigenetic processes, including DNA methylation, change reliably with age across the lifespan, such that DNA methylation can be used as an "epigenetic clock". This epigenetic clock can be used to predict age and age acceleration, which occurs when methylation-based prediction of age exceeds chronological age and has been associated with increased mortality. In the current study we examined epigenetic age acceleration using saliva samples collected from children between ages 6-13 (N = 101). Children's exposure to neighborhood violence and heart rate during a stressful task were assessed. Age acceleration was associated with children's direct experience of violence (p = 0.004) and with decreased heart rate (p = 0.002). Children who were predicted to be older than their chronological age had twice as much violence exposure as other children and their heart rate was similar to that of adults. The results remained significant after controlling for demographic variables, such as sex, income and education. This is the first study to show the effects of direct violence exposure on epigenetic aging in children using salivary DNA. Although longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether accelerated epigenetic aging leads to adverse health outcomes later in life, these data point to DNA methylation during childhood as a putative biological mechanism.