TY - JOUR

T1 - Investigating the effects of childhood maltreatment on pro-inflammatory signaling

T2 - The influence of cortisol and DHEA on cytokine secretion ex vivo

AU - Geiger, Martha Leonie

AU - Boeck, Christina

AU - Koenig, Alexandra Maria

AU - Schury, Katharina

AU - Waller, Christiane

AU - Kolassa, Stephan

AU - Karabatsiakis, Alexander

AU - Kolassa, Iris- Tatjana

PY - 2019/3/1

Y1 - 2019/3/1

N2 - Childhood maltreatment (CM) is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation and an increased risk for the development of adverse mental and physical health outcomes in CM-affected adults. Differences in cortisol signaling were described to contribute to this pro-inflammatory phenotype. We investigated in a study cohort of 13 postpartum women with and 12 postpartum women without CM whether treatment of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with cortisol, the anti-glucocorticoid hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), or co-treatment with both differentially affected pro-inflammatory cytokine release ex vivo. The childhood trauma questionnaire was used to retrospectively assess CM and the severity of CM experiences (maltreatment load). PBMC of maltreated women (CM+) showed in all conditions an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion compared to PBMC of the control group (CM-), which was correlated with the maltreatment load. Ex vivo stimulation analyses provided preliminary evidence for a differential responsivity of PBMC in CM+ and CM- women to cortisol regarding TNF-α secretion, but no difference in the responsivity to DHEA treatment. The results of the co-treatment with cortisol and DHEA support the hypothesis that cortisol and DHEA interact in the modulation of inflammatory processes.

AB - Childhood maltreatment (CM) is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation and an increased risk for the development of adverse mental and physical health outcomes in CM-affected adults. Differences in cortisol signaling were described to contribute to this pro-inflammatory phenotype. We investigated in a study cohort of 13 postpartum women with and 12 postpartum women without CM whether treatment of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with cortisol, the anti-glucocorticoid hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), or co-treatment with both differentially affected pro-inflammatory cytokine release ex vivo. The childhood trauma questionnaire was used to retrospectively assess CM and the severity of CM experiences (maltreatment load). PBMC of maltreated women (CM+) showed in all conditions an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion compared to PBMC of the control group (CM-), which was correlated with the maltreatment load. Ex vivo stimulation analyses provided preliminary evidence for a differential responsivity of PBMC in CM+ and CM- women to cortisol regarding TNF-α secretion, but no difference in the responsivity to DHEA treatment. The results of the co-treatment with cortisol and DHEA support the hypothesis that cortisol and DHEA interact in the modulation of inflammatory processes.

U2 - 10.1016/j.mhp.2018.04.002

DO - 10.1016/j.mhp.2018.04.002

M3 - Journal article

VL - 13

SP - 176

EP - 186

JO - Mental Health & Prevention

JF - Mental Health & Prevention

ER -