Childhood trauma is associated with perceived stress and hair cortisol levels characterized by the BDNF Val66Met genotype and sex
IntroductionChildhood trauma increases the risk of mental disorders by affecting both psychological and physiological stress responses in adulthood, including perceived stress and long-term hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. The mechanisms underlying these effects may involve gene-e...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1526791/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849716310392438784 |
|---|---|
| author | Zhenxu Li Zhenxu Li Se Jun Koo Hye Yoon Park Jee Eun Min Jung Tak Park Jung Tak Park Eun Lee Eun Lee Suk Kyoon An Suk Kyoon An |
| author_facet | Zhenxu Li Zhenxu Li Se Jun Koo Hye Yoon Park Jee Eun Min Jung Tak Park Jung Tak Park Eun Lee Eun Lee Suk Kyoon An Suk Kyoon An |
| author_sort | Zhenxu Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionChildhood trauma increases the risk of mental disorders by affecting both psychological and physiological stress responses in adulthood, including perceived stress and long-term hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. The mechanisms underlying these effects may involve gene-environment (G × E) interactions, with the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene Val66Met polymorphism and sex playing important roles. This study aims to investigate how childhood trauma influences stress responses, considering the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and sex differences.MethodsSecondary data from 190 healthy young adults (96 female) were analyzed. Childhood trauma and perceived stress were assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), respectively, and hair cortisol concentration (HCC) was assessed as a measure of long-term cortisol levels. Participants were genotyped for the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and stratified as Val/Val or Met carriers. Hierarchical linear regression models were used to examine the interactions between CTQ scores, BDNF Val66Met genotype, and sex to assess their effects on PSS scores and HCC. Additional analyses included separate linear regression models of the CTQ scores for HCC in Val/Val and Met carriers according to sex.ResultsHigher CTQ scores were positively associated with PSS scores in the entire sample (B= 0.124, p = 0.002). No significant main effects of CTQ scores, BDNF Val66Met genotype, or sex on HCC were observed. However, a significant three-way interaction between CTQ scores, BDNF Val66Met, and sex on HCC was observed, with a positive association between HCC and childhood trauma observed exclusively in female Val/Val carriers (B= 0.019, p=0.034).ConclusionThese results demonstrated that childhood trauma elevates perceived stress across all participants and increases HCC levels, specifically in female Val/Val carriers. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c5d0a0ea3ca24363bb6cf9a61c433a5d |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-c5d0a0ea3ca24363bb6cf9a61c433a5d2025-08-20T03:13:03ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402025-05-011610.3389/fpsyt.2025.15267911526791Childhood trauma is associated with perceived stress and hair cortisol levels characterized by the BDNF Val66Met genotype and sexZhenxu Li0Zhenxu Li1Se Jun Koo2Hye Yoon Park3Jee Eun Min4Jung Tak Park5Jung Tak Park6Eun Lee7Eun Lee8Suk Kyoon An9Suk Kyoon An10Section of Self, Affect and Neuroscience, Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of KoreaYonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of KoreaSection of Self, Affect and Neuroscience, Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of KoreaSection of Self, Affect and Neuroscience, Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of KoreaSection of Self, Affect and Neuroscience, Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of KoreaInstitute of Kidney Disease Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of KoreaSection of Self, Affect and Neuroscience, Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Hospital, Seoul, Republic of KoreaSection of Self, Affect and Neuroscience, Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Hospital, Seoul, Republic of KoreaIntroductionChildhood trauma increases the risk of mental disorders by affecting both psychological and physiological stress responses in adulthood, including perceived stress and long-term hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. The mechanisms underlying these effects may involve gene-environment (G × E) interactions, with the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene Val66Met polymorphism and sex playing important roles. This study aims to investigate how childhood trauma influences stress responses, considering the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and sex differences.MethodsSecondary data from 190 healthy young adults (96 female) were analyzed. Childhood trauma and perceived stress were assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), respectively, and hair cortisol concentration (HCC) was assessed as a measure of long-term cortisol levels. Participants were genotyped for the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and stratified as Val/Val or Met carriers. Hierarchical linear regression models were used to examine the interactions between CTQ scores, BDNF Val66Met genotype, and sex to assess their effects on PSS scores and HCC. Additional analyses included separate linear regression models of the CTQ scores for HCC in Val/Val and Met carriers according to sex.ResultsHigher CTQ scores were positively associated with PSS scores in the entire sample (B= 0.124, p = 0.002). No significant main effects of CTQ scores, BDNF Val66Met genotype, or sex on HCC were observed. However, a significant three-way interaction between CTQ scores, BDNF Val66Met, and sex on HCC was observed, with a positive association between HCC and childhood trauma observed exclusively in female Val/Val carriers (B= 0.019, p=0.034).ConclusionThese results demonstrated that childhood trauma elevates perceived stress across all participants and increases HCC levels, specifically in female Val/Val carriers.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1526791/fullBDNFVal66Metchildhood traumaperceived stresshair cortisol concentration |
| spellingShingle | Zhenxu Li Zhenxu Li Se Jun Koo Hye Yoon Park Jee Eun Min Jung Tak Park Jung Tak Park Eun Lee Eun Lee Suk Kyoon An Suk Kyoon An Childhood trauma is associated with perceived stress and hair cortisol levels characterized by the BDNF Val66Met genotype and sex Frontiers in Psychiatry BDNF Val66Met childhood trauma perceived stress hair cortisol concentration |
| title | Childhood trauma is associated with perceived stress and hair cortisol levels characterized by the BDNF Val66Met genotype and sex |
| title_full | Childhood trauma is associated with perceived stress and hair cortisol levels characterized by the BDNF Val66Met genotype and sex |
| title_fullStr | Childhood trauma is associated with perceived stress and hair cortisol levels characterized by the BDNF Val66Met genotype and sex |
| title_full_unstemmed | Childhood trauma is associated with perceived stress and hair cortisol levels characterized by the BDNF Val66Met genotype and sex |
| title_short | Childhood trauma is associated with perceived stress and hair cortisol levels characterized by the BDNF Val66Met genotype and sex |
| title_sort | childhood trauma is associated with perceived stress and hair cortisol levels characterized by the bdnf val66met genotype and sex |
| topic | BDNF Val66Met childhood trauma perceived stress hair cortisol concentration |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1526791/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zhenxuli childhoodtraumaisassociatedwithperceivedstressandhaircortisollevelscharacterizedbythebdnfval66metgenotypeandsex AT zhenxuli childhoodtraumaisassociatedwithperceivedstressandhaircortisollevelscharacterizedbythebdnfval66metgenotypeandsex AT sejunkoo childhoodtraumaisassociatedwithperceivedstressandhaircortisollevelscharacterizedbythebdnfval66metgenotypeandsex AT hyeyoonpark childhoodtraumaisassociatedwithperceivedstressandhaircortisollevelscharacterizedbythebdnfval66metgenotypeandsex AT jeeeunmin childhoodtraumaisassociatedwithperceivedstressandhaircortisollevelscharacterizedbythebdnfval66metgenotypeandsex AT jungtakpark childhoodtraumaisassociatedwithperceivedstressandhaircortisollevelscharacterizedbythebdnfval66metgenotypeandsex AT jungtakpark childhoodtraumaisassociatedwithperceivedstressandhaircortisollevelscharacterizedbythebdnfval66metgenotypeandsex AT eunlee childhoodtraumaisassociatedwithperceivedstressandhaircortisollevelscharacterizedbythebdnfval66metgenotypeandsex AT eunlee childhoodtraumaisassociatedwithperceivedstressandhaircortisollevelscharacterizedbythebdnfval66metgenotypeandsex AT sukkyoonan childhoodtraumaisassociatedwithperceivedstressandhaircortisollevelscharacterizedbythebdnfval66metgenotypeandsex AT sukkyoonan childhoodtraumaisassociatedwithperceivedstressandhaircortisollevelscharacterizedbythebdnfval66metgenotypeandsex |