DNA methylation (DNAm) - an epigenetic process that regulates gene expression - may represent a mechanism for the biological embedding of early traumatic experiences, including childhood maltreatment. Here, we conducted the first systematic review of human studies linking childhood maltreatment to DNAm. In total, 72 studies were included in the review (2008-2018). The majority of extant studies (i) were based on retrospective data in adults, (ii) employed a candidate gene approach (iii) focused on global maltreatment, (iv) were based on easily accessible peripheral tissues, typically blood; and (v) were cross-sectional. Two-thirds of studies (n = 48) also examined maltreatment-related outcomes, such as stress reactivity and psychiatric symptoms. While findings generally support an association between childhood maltreatment and altered patterns of DNAm, factors such as the lack of longitudinal data, low comparability across studies as well as potential genetic and 'pre-exposure' environmental confounding currently limit the conclusions that can be drawn. Key challenges are discussed and concrete recommendations for future research are provided to move the field forward.

中文翻译：

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儿童虐待和 DNA 甲基化：系统评价。

DNA甲基化（DNAm）——一种调节基因表达的表观遗传过程——可能代表了早期创伤经历（包括童年虐待）的生物学嵌入机制。在这里，我们对将儿童虐待与 DNAm 联系起来的人类研究进行了首次系统评价。该评价共纳入 72 项研究（2008-2018 年）。大多数现有研究（i）基于成人的回顾性数据，（ii）采用候选基因方法（iii）专注于整体虐待，（iv）基于易于获取的外周组织，通常是血液；(v) 是横截面的。三分之二的研究（n = 48）还检查了与虐待相关的结果，例如压力反应和精神症状。虽然研究结果普遍支持儿童虐待与 DNAm 模式改变之间的关联，但诸如缺乏纵向数据、研究之间的可比性低以及潜在的遗传和“暴露前”环境混杂等因素目前限制了可以得出的结论。讨论了关键挑战，并为未来研究提供了具体建议，以推动该领域的发展。