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

Abstract

Recently, child maltreatment was connected with long term consequences in childhood, adolescents and adulthood among them psychiatric disorders. The present work aimed at determining the association between psychiatric consequences and types of child maltreatment among adolescents between 12-18 years, exploring the role of Oxytocin Receptor Gene Polymorphism (rs2254298) in the relation between types of child maltreatment and psychiatric consequences and to examine the relation between childhood abuse and global DNA methylation. A case-control study was performed on 90 children aged 12- 18 years divided equally into; cases suffering from psychiatric illness and attending child and adolescent psychiatric outpatient clinics at Al-Hadara University Hospital in Alexandria, Egypt and controls recruited from different outpatient clinics at Alexandria University Hospitals. Significant difference was detected between cases and controls regarding physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect. Significant positive correlation was detected between these four types and depressive symptoms detected by children depression inventory (CDI) and total scale of child behavior checklist (CBCL). Non- significant interaction between OXTR gene SNP rs2254298 and child maltreatment in prediction of depressive symptoms and total scale of CDI and CBCL respectively. Significant negative correlation was detected between means of global DNA methylation and physical, emotional abuse and neglect.