Discrimination exposure and DNA methylation of stress-related genes in Latina mothers

Abstract

Latina mothers, who have the highest fertility rate among all ethnic groups in the US, are often exposed to discrimination. The epigenetic changes related to this discrimination are largely unknown. This study is the first to explore the relationship between discrimination and DNA methylation of stress regulatory genes in Latinas. Our sample was Latina women (n = 147) with a mean age of 27.6 years who were assessed at 24-32 weeks' gestation (T1) and 4-6 weeks postpartum (T2) and reside in the U.S. Blood was collected at T1, and the Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS) was administered at T1 and T2. DNA Methylation at candidate gene regions was determined by bisulphite pyrosequencing. Associations between EDS and DNA methylation were assessed via zero-inflated Poisson models, adjusting for covariates and multiple-test comparisons. Discrimination was negatively associated with methylation at CpG sites within the glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) genes that were consistent over time. In addition, discrimination was negatively associated with methylation of a CpG in the glucocorticoid binding protein (FKBP5) at T1 but not at T2. This study underscores associations between discrimination and epigenetic markers of DNA methylation in Latinas that warrant further investigation to better understand the biological pathways and psychopathological effects of discrimination on Latina mothers and their families.

Investigating the Associations of Everyday Discrimination and Inflammation in Latina Women: A Pilot Study

“…In addition, our sample was relatively homogenous consisting primarily of low-income Dominican middle-aged and older women. This is important to consider as recent studies have found that younger Latina women report a lower prevalence of everyday discrimination (approximately 41%-44%) than what was observed in the middle-aged and older women included in the present study (Otiniano Verissimo et al, 2013;Santos et al, 2018). Not surprisingly, the majority of women in this study were post-menopausal.…”

“…For instance, a cross-sectional study of young Latino men and women found that 60.2% of Latino men and 41.2% of Latina women reported experiencing everyday discrimination (chronic, but often minor experiences of unfair treatment that commonly occur in day-to-day interpersonal interactions; Otiniano Verissimo et al, 2013). In addition, in a sample of 150 pregnant Latina women (mean age ¼ 27.6 years), investigators found approximately 44% of participants reported experiencing some form of everyday discrimination in their lifetimes (Santos et al, 2018). A recent systematic review of 33 studies found that perceived discrimination is consistently associated with a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms and substance use among Latinos across studies (Andrade et al, 2020).…”

Maternal depression in Latinas and child socioemotional development: A systematic review

“…In immigrant women, acculturative stress is often accompanied by family separation, social and linguistic isolation, and discrimination [40]-salient contributors of perinatal depression among Mexican-American mothers [41]. The cumulative effects of these stressors on the relationship between maternal mental health and the child's gestational and early childhood experiences may alter not only the child's life course but the physiology of subsequent generations via biological (e.g., epigenetic) mechanisms [38,42,43] and interpersonal (e.g., parenting) processes [42]. The Latino paradox, wherein less acculturated Latinos experience better health outcomes than more acculturated Latinos, has been documented for maternal and child health: birth weights [44] and breastfeeding rates [45].…”

Racial discrimination and health: a prospective study of ethnic minorities in the United Kingdom

“…Several reviews have linked racial discrimination [ 21 , 49 , 50 ] with changes in various cortisol parameters, which in turn have been linked with poorer mental and physical health [ 51 , 52 ]. Deleterious changes in other biological processes such as heightened inflammation [ 22 ] and alterations in DNA methylation of stress-related genes [ 53 ] have been linked with discrimination in recent studies. Alterations in these stress-related biological processes offer a plausible link to negative changes in physical [ 54 , 55 ] and, mental health outcomes [ 51 , 56 ].…”