Antinuclear antibodies and thyroid function in sexually abused girls

Abstract

Sexually abused girls manifest dysregulation of physiological stress response systems. In this exploratory investigation, 14 sexually abused and 13 control girls, ages 8-15 years, recruited from a prospective, longitudinal study, underwent plasma antinuclear antibody and thyroid function tests. Thyroid function tests and plasma antinuclear antibody titers did not differ between sexually abused and control girls. However, a significantly higher incidence of plasma antinuclear antibody titers was seen in abused subjects when compared with the frequency of positive antinuclear antibody titers in a sample of 22 adult healthy female volunteers, ages 20-58 years. These findings suggest that sexually abused girls may show evidence of an alteration in normal immune homeostatic function.

The Long-term Physical Health and Healthcare Utilization of Women Who Were Sexually Abused as Children

“…There is also preliminary evidence for immune system compromise in sexually abused girls (De Bellis, Burke, Trickett, & Putnam, 1996). Although no self-reported differences regarding infections were found between the groups in the current study and given the health differential supported by these data, this issue deserves closer examination and more thorough assessment than could be done here.…”

The Psychobiology of Neglect

“…Thus, stress-induced immune dysregulation is also likely in neglected children. Although there are no child studies to date published in this area, a significantly higher incidence of plasma antinuclear antibody titers was seen in sexually abused girls when compared with the frequency of positive antinuclear antibody titers in a sample of adult healthy women (De Bellis, Burke, Trickett, & Putnam, 1996). One may speculate that the severe stress of sexual abuse may lead to suppression of the mechanisms (T suppressor cells) that actively suppress the auto-antibody-producing lymphocytes (B lymphocytes) and may thus increase the incidence of positive antinuclear antibody titers in sexually abused girls.…”

Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Thyroid Axis Function in Women With a Menstrually Related Mood Disorder

“…This is consistent with other prior work as well, demonstrating a different impact of an abuse history on cardiovascular and neuroendocrine reactivity to mental stress and beta-adrenergic receptor responsivity in women with MRMD versus women without MRMD (13,26,40). There are a number of sociodemographic factors, such as time elapsed after last traumatic experience and/or age at the time of first trauma that might influence HPT-axis measures and the relationship of thyroid hormone concentrations to symptoms, and could account for the differential effect of SA on T3 concentrations in the two diagnostic groups (41,42). In our study, however, the MRMD and non-MRMD women were similar in age at first SA experience and time elapsed after last SA episode suggesting that these factors are unlikely to contribute to the SA-related differences in T3 concentrations in the two diagnostic groups.…”