Child Maltreatment: Adolescents' Psychiatric Sequels In The Light Of Oxytocin Receptor Gene SNP rs2254298 And Global DNA Methylation: A Case Control Study

Abstract

Background: For decades, the negative impact of childhood adversity and maltreatment has been limited to the immediate harm and injuries. Recently, several studies connected child maltreatment with further long-term consequences in childhood, adolescents and adulthood among them psychiatric symptoms and disorders. Objectives: We aimed at determining the association between psychiatric consequences and different types of child maltreatment among adolescents between 12-18 years, exploring the role of Oxytocin Receptor Gene Polymorphism (rs2254298) in moderating the relation between different types of child maltreatment and psychiatric consequences and to examine the relation between childhood abuse and global DNA methylation. Methodology: A case-control study was carried out on 90 children aged between 1218 years divided equally into two groups; cases suffering from psychiatric illness and attending child and adolescent psychiatric outpatient clinics at AlHadara University Hospital in Alexandria, Egypt and controls recruited from different outpatient clinics at Alexandria university hospitals. Results: A significant difference was detected between cases and controls regarding four types of child maltreatment; physical abuse, sexual abuse and emotional abuse and neglect. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was detected between these four maltreatment types and depressive symptoms detected by children depression inventory (CDI) and total scale of child behavior checklist (CBCL). However, no significant interaction between OXTR gene SNP rs2254298 and child maltreatment in the prediction of depressive symptoms and total scale of CDI and CBCL, respectively. On the other hand, a significant negative correlation was detected between the means of global DNA methylation and three types of child maltreatment: physical abuse and emotional abuse and neglect.