Effects of early social deprivation on epigenetic statuses and adaptive behavior of young children: A study based on a cohort of institutionalized infants and toddlers

Abstract

Early social deprivation (i.e., an insufficiency or lack of parental care) has been identified as a significant adverse early experience that may affect multiple facets of child development and cause long-term outcomes in physical and mental health, cognition and behavior. Current research provides growing evidence that epigenetic reprogramming may be a mechanism modulating these effects of early adversities. This work aimed to investigate the impact of early institutionalization—the immersion in an extreme socially depriving environment in humans—on the epigenome and adaptive behavior of young children up to 4 years of age. We conducted a cross-sectional study involving two comparison groups: 29 children raised in orphanages and 29 children raised in biological families. Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles of blood cells were obtained using the Illumina MethylationEPIC array; the level of child adaptive functioning was assessed using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-II. In comparison to children raised in families, children residing in orphanages had both statistically significant deficits in multiple adaptive behavior domains and statistically significant differences in DNA methylation states. Moreover, some of these methylation states may directly modulate the behavioral deficits; according to preliminary estimates, about 7–14% of the deviation of adaptive behavior between groups of children may be determined by their difference in DNA methylation profiles. The duration of institutionalization had a significant impact on both the adaptive level and DNA methylation status of institutionalized children.

Psychosocial stress and epigenetic aging

“…Epigenetic mechanisms have been proposed to mediate the pernicious effects of the aforementioned environmental and sociodemographic risk factors. Genome-wide DNA methylation studies have revealed epigenetic patterns associated with socioeconomic status (Bush et al, 2018), institutionalization (Naumova et al, 2019), and altered stress reactivity after exposure to childhood maltreatment (Houtepen et al, 2016).…”

The ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ of Gluconeogenesis: Early Life Adversity, Later Life Stress, and Metabolic Disturbances

“…Glucocorticoids may also play a role, as, in utero exposure to maternal under nutritional affects beta-cell number and function lifelong in a manner dependent upon GR and GC since deletion of the GR in foetal pancreatic cell abrogated this effect [ 3 ]. These changes may, in part be due to the effects of ELA on the methylation of genes involved in obesity and metabolic pathways [ 114 , 115 ]. Furthermore, adverse early life conditions induce lifelong changes in gene transcription [ 116 ].…”

The ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ of Gluconeogenesis: Early-Life Adversity, Later Life Stress, and Metabolic Disturbances

“…Glucocorticoids may also play a role, as, in utero exposure to maternal under nutritional affects beta-cell number and function lifelong in a manner dependent upon GR and GC since deletion of the GR in foetal pancreatic cell abrogated this effect [3]. These changes may, in part be due to the effects of ELA on the methylation of genes involved in obesity and metabolic pathways [111,112]. Furthermore, adverse early life conditions induce lifelong changes in gene transcription [113].…”