BACKGROUND Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may lead to stress-induced upregulation of inflammatory and neuroendocrine processes. However, it remains unclear whether such effects persist into later life, and which dimensions of ACEs might have the strongest impact on these biological mechanisms. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of ACEs on C-reactive protein (CRP) and hair cortisol in a large sample of older adults, distinguishing between cumulative exposure and dimensions of ACEs. METHODS We utilised data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. ACEs were assessed through retrospective reports at wave 3(2006/07). CRP (N=4,198) was measured at waves 4(2008/09) and 6(2012/13), and hair cortisol (N=3,357) at wave 6. The effects of ACEs cumulative exposure were examined using linear and ordinal logistic regression analysis. ACEs dimensions (i.e. threat, household dysfunction, low parental bonding, and loss of an attachment figure) were identified using explorative and confirmatory factor analysis with cross-validation. All analyses were adjusted for relevant confounders. RESULTS Participants with three or more ACEs had higher CRP levels at wave 4 and an elevated risk of high CRP concentrations across waves 4 and 6 compared with those who did not experience any ACEs. The four ACEs dimensions were all positively associated with both CRP outcomes and had similar effect sizes. In contrast, neither the cumulative score nor the dimensions of ACEs were significantly related to hair cortisol. However, there was a positive, yet small, interaction effect between ACEs and age on hair cortisol. CONCLUSION Older adults who retrospectively reported three or more ACEs had chronically elevated CRP levels and exhibited a slightly steeper increase in hair cortisol with age. Different dimensions of ACEs had similar associations with the biomarkers.

中文翻译：

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不良童年经历与 C 反应蛋白和头发皮质醇的长期关联：累积风险与逆境维度

背景 暴露于不良童年经历 (ACE) 可能导致压力诱导的炎症和神经内分泌过程上调。然而，目前尚不清楚这种影响是否会持续到晚年，以及 ACE 的哪些维度可能对这些生物学机制产生最强的影响。因此，本研究在大量老年人样本中调查了 ACE 对 C 反应蛋白 (CRP) 和头发皮质醇的影响，区分了累积暴露和 ACE 的尺寸。方法 我们利用来自英国老龄化纵向研究的数据。通过第 3 波（2006/07）的回顾性报告评估 ACE。在第 4 波（2008/09）和第 6 波（2012/13）测量 CRP（N=4,198），在第 6 波测量头发皮质醇（N=3,357）。使用线性和有序逻辑回归分析检查 ACEs 累积暴露的影响。ACE 维度（即威胁、家庭功能障碍、父母关系低下和失去依恋）是使用交叉验证的探索性和验证性因素分析确定的。所有分析均针对相关混杂因素进行了调整。结果 与未经历任何 ACE 的参与者相比，具有三个或更多 ACE 的参与者在第 4 波时 CRP 水平较高，在第 4 波和第 6 波中 CRP 浓度高的风险升高。四个 ACE 维度都与两种 CRP 结果呈正相关，并且具有相似的效应大小。相比之下，ACE 的累积分数和维度都与头发皮质醇没有显着相关性。然而，有一个积极的，但很小的，ACEs和年龄对头发皮质醇的交互作用。结论 回顾性报告三个或更多 ACE 的老年人 CRP 水平长期升高，并且随着年龄的增长，头发皮质醇的增加略显陡峭。ACE 的不同维度与生物标志物具有相似的关联。