Maternal Adverse Childhood Experiences and Infant DNA Methylation: Examining an Epigenetic Biomarker of Intergenerational Risk

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dc.contributor.advisorLetourneau, Nicole Lyn
dc.contributor.authorSekhon, Bikramjit
dc.contributor.committeememberKobor, Michael S.
dc.contributor.committeememberGiesbrecht, Gerald
dc.contributor.committeememberMadigan, Sheri L.
dc.date2019-06
dc.date.accessioned2019-04-23T20:58:30Z
dc.date.available2019-04-23T20:58:30Z
dc.date.issued2019-04-22
dc.description.abstractWhile “nature" and "nurture" are often viewed as opposing influences on human development, epigenetics is one area of study investigating how these influences work together. Until recently, transmission of intergenerational risk to human development has centred on claims of genetic inheritance, or the persistence of poor social environments such as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), across generations. Stress occurring during gestation, that affects both the fetus and mother, has also been proposed as a method of transmitting intergenerational risk to offspring. New evidence in animal models suggests that “preconception stress” may also predict DNA methylation (DNAm; one component of epigenetics) in offspring, potentially impacting developmental health outcomes. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the association between human mothers’ preconception stress and differential DNAm patterns in their biological infants. A secondary analysis was conducted, utilizing data obtained from the Fetal Programming (FetalPro) cohort study, a sub-set of participants in the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) study. APrON study participants were voluntary, and all pregnant women were over 16-years-old and before 22 weeks of gestation at enrolment. Measures included mothers’ scores on the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) questionnaire, mental health during pregnancy including the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the Symptom Checklist 90 Revised, as well as demographics. Epigenetic data were obtained from buccal epithelial cell (BEC) samples collected from mothers’ 3-month-old infants. Cellular DNA were processed with the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 Bead Chip to investigate DNAm. Relationships were investigated using regression modelling with the Limma function in R-package. Results showed a strong relationship between mothers’ total ACE score and differential DNAm patterning in their infants at eight epigenetic sites out of over 450,000 sites investigated. These findings have implications for the study of DNAm patterning as a biomarker for the transfer of preconception stress in humans and suggest a role for epigenetics in the transfer of intergenerational trauma.en_US
dc.identifier.citationSekhon, B. (2019). Maternal adverse childhood experiences and infant DNA methylation: Examining an epigenetic biomarker of intergenerational risk (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/36377
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/110189
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisher.facultyNursingen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.en_US
dc.subject.classificationGeneticsen_US
dc.subject.classificationNeuroscienceen_US
dc.subject.classificationHuman Developmenten_US
dc.subject.classificationMental Healthen_US
dc.subject.classificationNursingen_US
dc.subject.classificationPsychology--Developmentalen_US
dc.titleMaternal Adverse Childhood Experiences and Infant DNA Methylation: Examining an Epigenetic Biomarker of Intergenerational Risken_US
dc.typemaster thesisen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineNursingen_US
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgaryen_US
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Nursing (MN)en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
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