Abstract：
BACKGROUND: Violence against women is a relevant health and social problem with negative consequences on women\'s health. The interaction between genome and environmental factors, such as violence, represents one of the major challenges in molecular medicine. The Epigenetics for WomEn (EpiWE) project is a multidisciplinary pilot study that intends to investigate the epigenetic signatures associated with intimate partner and sexual violence-induced stress-related disorders.
METHODS: In 2020, 62 women exposed to violence (13 women suffering from sexual violence and 49 from Intimate Partner Violence, IPV) and 50 women with no history of violence were recruited at the Service for Sexual and Domestic Violence. All women aged 18-65 were monitored for their physical and psychological conditions. Blood samples were collected, and DNAs were extracted and underwent the epigenetic analysis of 10 stress-related genes.
RESULTS: PTSD prevalence in victims was assessed at 8.1%. Quantitative methylation evaluation of the ten selected trauma/stress-related genes revealed the differential iper-methylation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, dopamine receptor D2 and insulin-like growth factor 2 genes. These genes are among those related to brain plasticity, learning, and memory pathways.
CONCLUSIONS: The association of early detection of posttraumatic distress and epigenetic marker identification could represent a new avenue for addressing women survivors toward resilience. This innovative approach in gender-based violence studies could identify new molecular pathways associated with the long-term effects of violence and implement innovative protocols of precision medicine.
METHODS: In 2020, 62 women exposed to violence (13 women suffering from sexual violence and 49 from Intimate Partner Violence, IPV) and 50 women with no history of violence were recruited at the Service for Sexual and Domestic Violence. All women aged 18-65 were monitored for their physical and psychological conditions. Blood samples were collected, and DNAs were extracted and underwent the epigenetic analysis of 10 stress-related genes.
RESULTS: PTSD prevalence in victims was assessed at 8.1%. Quantitative methylation evaluation of the ten selected trauma/stress-related genes revealed the differential iper-methylation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, dopamine receptor D2 and insulin-like growth factor 2 genes. These genes are among those related to brain plasticity, learning, and memory pathways.
CONCLUSIONS: The association of early detection of posttraumatic distress and epigenetic marker identification could represent a new avenue for addressing women survivors toward resilience. This innovative approach in gender-based violence studies could identify new molecular pathways associated with the long-term effects of violence and implement innovative protocols of precision medicine.
摘要：
背景：对妇女的暴力行为是一个相关的健康和社会问题，对妇女的健康产生负面影响。基因组与环境因素之间的相互作用，比如暴力，代表分子医学的主要挑战之一。女性表观遗传学（EpiWE）项目是一项多学科的试点研究，旨在调查与亲密伴侣和性暴力引起的压力相关疾病相关的表观遗传特征。
方法：2020年，62名妇女遭受暴力侵害（13名妇女遭受性暴力，49名妇女遭受亲密伴侣暴力，IPV）和50名没有暴力史的妇女被招募到性暴力和家庭暴力处。所有18-65岁的女性都接受了身体和心理状况的监测。采集血样,提取DNA,对10个应激相关基因进行表观遗传学分析。
结果：受害者的PTSD患病率评估为8.1%。十个选定的创伤/应激相关基因的定量甲基化评估揭示了脑源性神经营养因子的差异甲基化，多巴胺受体D2和胰岛素样生长因子2基因。这些基因与大脑可塑性有关，学习,和记忆路径。
结论：创伤后困扰的早期检测和表观遗传标记鉴定的关联可能代表了解决女性幸存者对韧性的新途径。基于性别的暴力研究中的这种创新方法可以确定与暴力的长期影响相关的新分子途径，并实施精准医学的创新方案。
方法：2020年，62名妇女遭受暴力侵害（13名妇女遭受性暴力，49名妇女遭受亲密伴侣暴力，IPV）和50名没有暴力史的妇女被招募到性暴力和家庭暴力处。所有18-65岁的女性都接受了身体和心理状况的监测。采集血样,提取DNA,对10个应激相关基因进行表观遗传学分析。
结果：受害者的PTSD患病率评估为8.1%。十个选定的创伤/应激相关基因的定量甲基化评估揭示了脑源性神经营养因子的差异甲基化，多巴胺受体D2和胰岛素样生长因子2基因。这些基因与大脑可塑性有关，学习,和记忆路径。
结论：创伤后困扰的早期检测和表观遗传标记鉴定的关联可能代表了解决女性幸存者对韧性的新途径。基于性别的暴力研究中的这种创新方法可以确定与暴力的长期影响相关的新分子途径，并实施精准医学的创新方案。
