1 1151 147 CONNECTIONS AMONG BIOLOGIC EMBEDDING OF CHILDHOOD ADVERSITY, ADULT CHRONIC ILLNESS, AND WOUND CARE: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE. ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (ACES) BIOLOGICALLY EMBED BY ALTERING BRAIN DEVELOPMENT AND INFLUENCING EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS. THESE EXPERIENCES MAY GENERATE HEALTH RISK FACTORS. PURPOSE: A LITERATURE REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED TO COMPARE ACE-GENERATED HEALTH RISK FACTORS WITH RISK FACTORS FOR WOUND DEVELOPMENT AND ABERRANT HEALING, AS WELL AS TO IDENTIFY A GAP IN LITERATURE REGARDING CRITICAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN ACES, CHRONIC ILLNESS, AND WOUND DEVELOPMENT/HEALING, WITH ASSOCIATED PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. METHODOLOGY: A LITERATURE SEARCH OF ENGLISH-LANGUAGE ARTICLES WAS CONDUCTED USING THE CUMULATIVE INDEX OF NURSING AND ALLIED HEALTH LITERATURE, MEDLINE, AND PUBMED USING THE SEARCH TERMS ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES, ADULTS, WOUNDS, CHRONIC DISEASE OR ILLNESS, AND EPIGENETICS. THE SEARCHES YIELDED 561 PUBLICATIONS REGARDING ACES, CHRONIC ILLNESS OR DISEASE, AND ADULT; 182 FOR ACES; AND 547 FOR EPIGENETICS AND WOUNDS. ABSTRACTS WERE REVIEWED TO REMOVE DUPLICATES AND STUDIES WITH PARTICIPANTS WHO WERE <18 YEARS OLD. PUBLICATIONS WERE REVIEWED FOR SALIENCE; THOSE DISCUSSING THE BIOLOGIC PLAUSIBILITY OF ACES CONTRIBUTING TO ADULT ILLNESSES AND ASSOCIATED WOUND DEVELOPMENT AND HEALING WERE REVIEWED FOR INCLUSION. RESULTS: SIXTY-EIGHT (68) PUBLICATIONS WERE FOUND APPROPRIATE FOR REVIEW AND INCLUDED POPULATION-BASED STUDIES; LITERATURE REVIEWS; EPIDEMIOLOGIC DATA; META-ANALYSES; AND SYSTEMATIC, CROSS-SECTIONAL, OBSERVATIONAL, AND PROSPECTIVE STUDIES AS SINGULAR OR MIXED METHODS DESIGNS. A SUBSTANTIAL OVERLAP WAS FOUND IN TERMS OF RISK FACTORS GENERATED BY ACE EXPOSURE AND RISK FACTORS FOR WOUND DEVELOPMENT/HEALING, AS WAS A GAP IN THE LITERATURE REGARDING THIS RELATIONSHIP. EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS AND ALTERED BRAIN DEVELOPMENT ARE IMPLICATED IN PROCESSES THROUGH WHICH CHILDHOOD ADVERSITY ERODES HUMAN HEALTH. CONCLUSION: ADULT HEALTH RISKS AS A RESULT OF EXPOSURE TO ACES AND CRITICAL CONNECTIONS WITH RISKS FOR WOUND DEVELOPMENT AND DISRUPTED WOUND HEALING VIA EPIGENETIC INFLUENCES ARE RECOGNIZED IN THE LITERATURE. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS INCLUDE CONSIDERING SCREENING FOR THE RISK FACTOR OF ACES EXPOSURE IN ADULT PATIENTS TO IDENTIFY THIS ADDITIONAL RISK FACTOR AND PRACTICING PATIENT-CENTERED, TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE. FURTHER RESEARCH INTO THE INTEGRATIVE ROLES OF THESE FACTORS IS WARRANTED. 2019 2 1221 61 CRITICAL CONNECTIONS AMONG EMBEDDING OF CHILDHOOD ADVERSITY AND ADULT CHRONIC GASTROINTESTINAL AND GENITOURINARY DISORDERS: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE. BACKGROUND: A GAP IN THE LITERATURE EXISTS DEMONSTRATING ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN ADVERSE CHILD EXPERIENCES (ACES) AS POTENTIAL A PRIORI CONTRIBUTING FACTORS AND GASTROINTESTINAL (GI)/GENITOURINARY (GU) DISORDERS. PURPOSE: A NARRATIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE WAS CONDUCTED TO EXPLORE CRITICAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN ACES AND GI/GU DISORDERS WITH A WORKING HYPOTHESIS OF A DOSE-RESPONSIVE RELATIONSHIP EXISTING AMONG THEM. METHODS: A LITERATURE SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED USING MEDLINE, CUMULATIVE INDEX OF NURSING AND ALLIED HEALTH LITERATURE, PUBMED, AND WEB OF SCIENCE USING SEARCH TERMS ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES, CHILDHOOD ADVERSITY, OBESITY, GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDERS, AND GENITOURINARY DISORDERS, AND SECONDARY SEARCHES OF OBESITY AND SPECIFIC GI/GU DISORDERS (EG, IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME, PELVIC PAIN). DUPLICATES AND ARTICLES WITH INAPPROPRIATE FOCUS WERE DISCARDED AFTER REVIEW. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 58 ARTICLES WERE INCLUDED. RESEARCH IDENTIFIED SHOWED THAT ACES DO PLAY A ROLE IN ADULT GI AND GU MORBIDITIES IN A DOSE-RESPONSE MANNER, AND SELECTED FACTORS SUCH AS SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, RACE, GENDER IDENTITY, AND PHYSIOLOGIC STATE (EG, OBESITY) CONFER HIGHER RISK. RESEARCH ALSO SUGGESTED THAT GENETIC/EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS ARE AT PLAY IN DISEASE OCCURRENCE, AND THE IMPACT OF ACES MAY BE MITIGATED WITH POSITIVE LIFE EXPERIENCES. CONCLUSION: RESEARCH ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACES AND GI/GU DISORDERS IS HETEROGENEOUS, NOTABLY DUE TO WIDE VARIATIONS IN HOW TYPES OF ACES ARE DEFINED AND SCREENING METHODS USED. DESPITE THIS LIMITATION, ASSOCIATIONS ARE DEMONSTRATED. AWARENESS OF A POSSIBLE CORRELATION BETWEEN ACES AND RISK OF GI/GU DISORDERS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE PATIENT CARE, ESPECIALLY THROUGH TRAUMA-INFORMED STRATEGIES. 2021 3 704 37 BUILDING RESILIENCE AGAINST THE SEQUELAE OF ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES: RISE UP, CHANGE YOUR LIFE, AND REFORM HEALTH CARE. A REFORMED APPROACH TO HEALTH CARE TACKLES HEALTH AT ITS ROOTS. ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (ACES) IN THOSE EXPOSED TO THEM MAY CONTRIBUTE SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE ROOT CAUSES OF MANY DISEASES OF LIFESTYLE. ACES ARE TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES, SUCH AS PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL ABUSE AND EXPOSURE TO RISKY FAMILY ENVIRONMENTS. IN 1998, A GROUND-BREAKING STUDY FOUND THAT NEARLY 70% OF AMERICANS EXPERIENCE AT LEAST 1 ACE IN THEIR LIFETIME, AND GRADED EXPOSURE IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRESENCE OF MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS, HEART DISEASE, CANCER, AND OTHER CHRONIC DISEASES. OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS, EVIDENCE HAS DEMONSTRATED FURTHER DISEASE RISK, OUTCOMES, AND EPIGENETIC UNDERPINNINGS IN CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH ACES. BUILDING RESILIENCE-THE CAPACITY TO ADAPT IN HEALTHY WAYS TO TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES-THROUGH LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION OFFERS POTENTIAL TO COMBAT THE NEGATIVE HEALTH EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH ACES. EMERGING RESEARCH DEMONSTRATES RESILIENCE IS CULTIVATED THROUGH INDIVIDUAL SKILLS (EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, COPING, AND FOSTERING HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHOICES), AND NURTURING SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIPS. BEING MINDFUL OF THE IMPACT AND PREVALENCE OF ACES AND DIVERSITY OF INDIVIDUALS' EXPERIENCES IN SOCIETY WILL HELP BUILD RESILIENCE AND COMBAT THE ROOT CAUSE OF CHRONIC DISEASE. THIS REVIEW AIMS TO CULTIVATE THAT AWARENESS AND WILL DISCUSS 3 OBJECTIVES: TO DISCUSS THE EFFECTS AND HYPOTHESIZED PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL UNDERPINNINGS OF TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES IN CHILDHOOD ON HEALTH AND WELLBEING THROUGHOUT LIFE, TO PRESENT WAYS WE CAN PROMOTE RESILIENCE IN OUR DAILY LIVES AND PATIENT ENCOUNTERS, AND TO DEMONSTRATE HOW ADVOCACY FOR THE REDUCTION OF ACES AND PROMOTION OF RESILIENT, TRAUMA-INFORMED ENVIRONMENTS ARE FUNDAMENTAL TO HEALTH CARE REFORM. 2019 4 6894 22 [SOCIAL INEQUALITY AND MENTAL HEALTH]. SOCIAL INEQUALITY REFERS TO THE INEQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF SOCIAL PROSPERITY INCLUDING THE RESOURCE OF HEALTH. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL INEQUALITY AND MENTAL HEALTH CAN BE ESTABLISHED BY MEANS OF INDICATORS OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY THROUGHOUT ALL AGE GROUPS IN GERMANY. THERE ARE SOCIAL GRADIENTS OF MENTAL HEALTH ON THE POPULATION LEVEL, I.E. THE LINEAR RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL CLASSES OR STATUS AND STATE OF HEALTH. FUNDAMENTAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH DISPARITY ARE CULTURAL, SOCIAL, POLITICAL, AND GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS, WHICH INTERACT WITH THE GENETIC MAKE-UP AND EPIGENETIC PROCESSES. THESE DETERMINANTS ALSO INFLUENCE THE MANAGEMENT OF DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS DURING THE LIFE COURSE AND ARE OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MENTAL DISORDERS. THE MALADAPTATION TO CHRONIC STRESS IS AT THE CORE OF HEALTH DISPARITY. INTERVENTIONS AT THE INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIORAL LEVEL SHOULD COMPRISE THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRESS MANAGEMENT AND COPING STRATEGIES. 2019 5 393 19 AN OVERVIEW OF EPIGENETICS IN NURSING. EPIGENETIC CHANGES TO THE GENOME ARE BIOCHEMICAL ALTERATIONS TO THE DNA THAT DO NOT CHANGE AN INDIVIDUAL'S GENOME BUT DO CHANGE AND INFLUENCE GENE EXPRESSION. THE NURSING PROFESSION IS QUALIFIED TO CONDUCT AND INTEGRATE EPIGENETIC-FOCUSED NURSING RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE. THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES CURRENT EPIGENETIC NURSING RESEARCH, PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF HOW EPIGENETIC RESEARCH RELATES TO NURSING PRACTICE, MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS, AND PROVIDES EPIGENETIC ONLINE RESOURCES FOR NURSING RESEARCH. AN OVERVIEW OF MAJOR EPIGENETIC STUDIES IN NURSING (SPECIFIC TO CHILDBIRTH STUDIES, PREECLAMPSIA, METABOLIC SYNDROME, IMMUNOTHERAPY CANCER, AND PAIN) IS PROVIDED, WITH RECOMMENDATIONS ON NEXT STEPS. 2013 6 4067 35 MATERNAL AND PEDIATRIC HEALTH AND DISEASE: INTEGRATING BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL MODELS AND EPIGENETICS. THE CONCEPTS OF ALLOSTASIS (STABILITY THROUGH ADAPTATION) AND ACCUMULATED LIFE STRESS (MCEWEN'S ALLOSTATIC LOAD) AIM TO UNDERSTAND CHILDHOOD AND ADULT OUTCOMES. CHRONIC MALNUTRITION, CHANGES IN SOCIAL CONDITION, AND ADVERSE EARLY-LIFE EXPERIENCES MAY PROGRAM PHENOTYPES AND CONTRIBUTE TO LONG-LASTING DISEASE RISK. HOWEVER, INTEGRATION OF LIFE COURSE APPROACHES, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONTEXTS, AND COMPARISON AMONG DIFFERENT BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL MODELS HAS NOT GENERALLY BEEN EXPLORED. THIS REVIEW CRITICALLY EXAMINES THE LITERATURE AND EVALUATES RECENT INSIGHTS INTO HOW ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS CAN ALTER LIFELONG HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL AXIS AND IMMUNE SYSTEM RESPONSIVENESS AND INDUCE METABOLIC AND NEURODEVELOPMENTAL MALADAPTATION. MODELS OF BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL STRESS OVERLAP BUT MAY CONSIDER DIFFERENT CONDITIONS. CONCEPTS INCLUDE ALLOSTASIS, WHICH INCORPORATES HORMONAL RESPONSES TO PREDICTABLE ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES, AND GERONIMUS'S "WEATHERING," WHICH AIMS TO EXPLAIN HOW SOCIALLY STRUCTURED, REPEATED STRESS CAN ACCUMULATE AND INCREASE DISEASE VULNERABILITY. WEATHERING EMPHASIZES ROLES OF INTERNALIZED/INTERPERSONAL RACISM IN OUTCOMES DISPARITIES. FOR MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS AND MEXICAN AMERICANS, THE "ACCULTURATION" FRAMEWORK HAS PROVEN ESPECIALLY USEFUL TO EXPLORE DISPARITIES, INCLUDING PRETERM BIRTH AND NEUROPSYCHIATRIC RISKS IN CHILDHOOD. COMPLEXITIES OF STRESS ASSESSMENTS AND RECENT RESEARCH INTO EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS MEDIATING EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL, NUTRITIONAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL STRESS ARE REVIEWED. 2016 7 5315 33 PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS IN CHILDHOOD AND SUSCEPTIBILITY TO THE CHRONIC DISEASES OF AGING: MOVING TOWARD A MODEL OF BEHAVIORAL AND BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS. AMONG PEOPLE EXPOSED TO MAJOR PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESSORS IN EARLY LIFE, THERE ARE ELEVATED RATES OF MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY FROM CHRONIC DISEASES OF AGING. THE MOST COMPELLING DATA COME FROM STUDIES OF CHILDREN RAISED IN POVERTY OR MALTREATED BY THEIR PARENTS, WHO SHOW HEIGHTENED VULNERABILITY TO VASCULAR DISEASE, AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS, AND PREMATURE MORTALITY. THESE FINDINGS RAISE CHALLENGING THEORETICAL QUESTIONS. HOW DOES CHILDHOOD STRESS GET UNDER THE SKIN, AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL, TO AFFECT RISK FOR LATER DISEASES? AND HOW DOES IT INCUBATE THERE, GIVING RISE TO DISEASES SEVERAL DECADES LATER? HERE WE PRESENT A BIOLOGICAL EMBEDDING MODEL, WHICH ATTEMPTS TO ADDRESS THESE QUESTIONS BY SYNTHESIZING KNOWLEDGE ACROSS SEVERAL BEHAVIORAL AND BIOMEDICAL LITERATURES. THIS MODEL MAINTAINS THAT CHILDHOOD STRESS GETS "PROGRAMMED" INTO MACROPHAGES THROUGH EPIGENETIC MARKINGS, POSTTRANSLATIONAL MODIFICATIONS, AND TISSUE REMODELING. AS A CONSEQUENCE THESE CELLS ARE ENDOWED WITH PROINFLAMMATORY TENDENCIES, MANIFEST IN EXAGGERATED CYTOKINE RESPONSES TO CHALLENGE AND DECREASED SENSITIVITY TO INHIBITORY HORMONAL SIGNALS. THE MODEL GOES ON TO PROPOSE THAT OVER THE LIFE COURSE, THESE PROINFLAMMATORY TENDENCIES ARE EXACERBATED BY BEHAVIORAL PROCLIVITIES AND HORMONAL DYSREGULATION, THEMSELVES THE PRODUCTS OF EXPOSURE TO EARLY STRESS. BEHAVIORALLY, THE MODEL POSITS THAT CHILDHOOD STRESS GIVES RISE TO EXCESSIVE THREAT VIGILANCE, MISTRUST OF OTHERS, POOR SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS, IMPAIRED SELF-REGULATION, AND UNHEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHOICES. HORMONALLY, EARLY STRESS CONFERS ALTERED PATTERNS OF ENDOCRINE AND AUTONOMIC DISCHARGE. THIS MILIEU AMPLIFIES THE PROINFLAMMATORY ENVIRONMENT ALREADY INSTANTIATED BY MACROPHAGES. ACTING IN CONCERT WITH OTHER EXPOSURES AND GENETIC LIABILITIES, THE RESULTING INFLAMMATION DRIVES FORWARD PATHOGENIC MECHANISMS THAT ULTIMATELY FOSTER CHRONIC DISEASE. 2011 8 6478 32 TOPICAL REVIEW: THE EMERGING FIELD OF EPIGENETICS: INFORMING MODELS OF PEDIATRIC TRAUMA AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. OBJECTIVE: TRAUMA EXPERIENCED DURING CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE HAS BEEN LINKED TO A NUMBER OF CHRONIC MEDICAL CONCERNS. WE HIGHLIGHT MAJOR FINDINGS FROM THE PEDIATRIC TRAUMA LITERATURE TO PROVIDE A MODEL FOR UNDERSTANDING THIS ASSOCIATION. METHODS: STUDIES EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF TRAUMA WERE SYSTEMATICALLY REVIEWED AND SYNTHESIZED INTO A MODEL PROPOSING A CENTRAL ROLE FOR EPIGENETICS IN THE WAYS THAT CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES CAN AFFECT HEALTH. RESULTS: EARLY HYPOTHALAMIC PITUITARY ADRENAL (HPA) AXIS RESPONSE MAY IMPACT INITIAL TRAUMA EXPERIENCE, WITH DOWNSTREAM EFFECTS ON POSTTRAUMA ADJUSTMENT REFLECTED IN POSTTRAUMA NEUROBIOLOGY, PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH, AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. CONCLUSIONS: PROSPECTIVE RESEARCH WITH CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS EXPOSED TO TRAUMA IS NEEDED TO BETTER CHARACTERIZE THE GENETIC AND EPIGENETIC INFLUENCES ON THE COURSE OF HPA AND IMMUNE PROCESSES AS RELATED TO POSTTRAUMA PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH OUTCOMES. 2016 9 6483 39 TOXIC STRESS, EPIGENETICS AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT. OBJECTIVES: TO DESCRIBE THE CONCEPT OF TOXIC STRESS, PRESENT THE BASICS OF EPIGENETICS AND DISCUSS THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHILD DEVELOPMENT. DATA SOURCE: NARRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW THROUGH A SEARCH IN THE SCIELO, LILACS, MEDLINE DATABASES USING THE TERMS ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE OR EARLY LIFE STRESS, EPIGENOMIC OR EPIGENETIC, CHILD DEVELOPMENT OR INFANT DEVELOPMENT. DATA SYNTHESIS: CONTINUING STRESS RESPONSE, KNOWN AS TOXIC STRESS, CAN OCCUR WHEN A CHILD EXPERIENCES INTENSE, FREQUENT, AND/OR PROLONGED ADVERSITY-SUCH AS PHYSICAL OR EMOTIONAL ABUSE, CHRONIC NEGLECT, FOR EXAMPLE-WITHOUT ADEQUATE ADULT SUPPORT. THIS TOXIC STRESS CAN HAVE HARMFUL EFFECTS ON LEARNING, BEHAVIOR, AND HEALTH THROUGHOUT LIFE. EPIGENETICS, AN EMERGING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AREA?, SHOWS HOW ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES AFFECT GENE EXPRESSIONS AND EXPLAINS HOW EARLY EXPERIENCES CAN IMPACT THROUGHOUT LIFE. CONCLUSIONS: TOXIC STRESS CAUSES CHANGES IN THE HUMAN BODY RESPONSE SYSTEMS THAT CAN BE EXPLAINED IN PART BY EPIGENETIC CHANGES, WHICH CAN BE TEMPORARY OR LONG-LASTING. PEDIATRICIANS MUST BE AWARE OF THESE MECHANISMS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES, SEEKING TO PREVENT THEM AND THUS PROMOTE THE HEALTH, WELL-BEING, AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF CHILDREN, CONTRIBUTING TO THEIR FULL DEVELOPMENT. 2022 10 2724 33 EXPERIENCE-SENSITIVE EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS, DEVELOPMENTAL PLASTICITY, AND THE BIOLOGICAL EMBEDDING OF CHRONIC DISEASE RISK. A WIDE RANGE OF DEVELOPMENTAL, NUTRITIONAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND SOCIAL FACTORS AFFECT THE BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS. THESE FACTORS CHANGE SPATIOTEMPORAL PATTERNS OF GENE EXPRESSION IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS AND BRING SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS TO BEAR ON DEVELOPMENT, PHYSIOLOGY, AND DISEASE RISK THROUGHOUT THE LIFE COURSE. ABUNDANT EVIDENCE DEMONSTRATES THAT BEHAVIORAL STRESSORS AND ADVERSE NUTRITIONAL CONDITIONS ARE PARTICULARLY POTENT INDUCERS OF EPIGENETIC CHANGES AND ENHANCERS OF CHRONIC DISEASE RISKS. RECENT INSIGHTS FROM BOTH HUMAN CLINICAL STUDIES AND RESEARCH WITH MODEL ORGANISMS FURTHER INDICATE THAT SUCH EXPERIENCE-DEPENDENT CHANGES TO THE EPIGENOME CAN BE TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE GERMLINE ACROSS MULTIPLE GENERATIONS, WITH IMPORTANT CONSEQUENCES FOR THE HERITABILITY OF BOTH ADAPTIVE AND MALADAPTIVE PHENOTYPES. EPIGENETICS RESEARCH THUS OFFERS MANY POSSIBILITIES FOR DEVELOPING INFORMATIVE BIOMARKERS OF ACQUIRED CHRONIC DISEASE RISK AND DETERMINING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PREVENTIVE AND THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS. MOREOVER, THE EXPERIENCE-SENSITIVE NATURE OF THESE DISEASE RISKS RAISES IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ABOUT SOCIETAL AND INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE PREVENTION OF ILL-HEALTH AND THE PROMOTION OF WELL-BEING DURING DEVELOPMENT, ACROSS THE LIFE COURSE AND BETWEEN GENERATIONS. BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS REGULATE DEVELOPMENTAL PLASTICITY AND MEDIATE THE BIOLOGICAL EMBEDDING OF CHRONIC DISEASE RISKS IS THEREFORE LIKELY TO SHED IMPORTANT NEW LIGHT ON THE NATURE OF THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS LINKING SOCIAL AND HEALTH INEQUALITIES, AND WILL HELP TO INFORM PUBLIC POLICY INITIATIVES IN THIS AREA. CONFLICT OF INTEREST: THE AUTHOR HAS DECLARED NO CONFLICTS OF INTEREST FOR THIS ARTICLE. 2015 11 6119 27 THE EPIGENETIC IMPACTS OF SOCIAL STRESS: HOW DOES SOCIAL ADVERSITY BECOME BIOLOGICALLY EMBEDDED? EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS ARE IMPLICATED IN THE PROCESSES THROUGH WHICH SOCIAL STRESSORS ERODE HEALTH IN HUMANS AND OTHER ANIMALS. HERE I REVIEW PROGRESS IN ELUCIDATING THE BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS UNDERLYING THE SOCIAL GRADIENT IN HEALTH, WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON HOW BEHAVIORAL STRESSES INFLUENCE EPIGENOMIC VARIATION LINKED TO HEALTH. THE EVIDENCE THAT EPIGENETIC CHANGES ARE INVOLVED IN EMBEDDING OF SOCIAL STATUS-LINKED CHRONIC STRESS IS REVIEWED IN THE CONTEXT OF CURRENT KNOWLEDGE ABOUT BEHAVIOR WITHIN ANIMAL DOMINANCE HIERARCHIES AND THE IMPACTS OF SOCIAL POSITION ON BEHAVIORS THAT AFFECT HEALTH. THE ROLES OF EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS IN RESPONSES TO TRAUMA AND THE EVIDENCE FOR THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN INTERGENERATIONAL TRANSMISSION OF THE BIOLOGICAL IMPACTS OF TRAUMATIC STRESS ARE ALSO CONSIDERED. TAKEN TOGETHER, THE EMERGING INSIGHTS HAVE IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE SOCIETAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. 2016 12 3630 44 INCLUSION OF SOCIAL AND STRUCTURAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH TO ADVANCE UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE BIOLOGY OF CHRONIC DISEASE. SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH (SDOH) CONSIDER SOCIAL, POLITICAL, AND ECONOMIC FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO HEALTH DISPARITIES IN PATIENTS AND POPULATIONS. THE MOST COMMON HEALTH-RELATED SDOH EXPOSURES ARE FOOD AND HOUSING INSECURITY, FINANCIAL INSTABILITY, TRANSPORTATION NEEDS, LOW LEVELS OF EDUCATION, AND PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESS. THESE DOMAINS DESCRIBE RISKS THAT CAN IMPACT HEALTH OUTCOMES MORE THAN HEALTH CARE. EPIDEMIOLOGIC AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH DEMONSTRATES THAT SDOH FACTORS REPRESENT EXPOSURES THAT PREDICT HARM AND IMPACT THE HEALTH OF INDIVIDUALS. INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL GUIDELINES URGE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS TO ADDRESS SDOH IN CLINICAL PRACTICE AND PUBLIC HEALTH. THE FURTHER IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS INTO BASIC AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH, HOWEVER, IS LAGGING. HEREIN, WE CONSIDER A PRECISION HEALTH FRAMEWORK TO DESCRIBE HOW SDOH CONTRIBUTES TO THE EXPOSOME AND EXACERBATES PHYSIOLOGIC PATHWAYS THAT LEAD TO CHRONIC DISEASE. SDOH FACTORS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH VARIOUS FORMS OF STRESSORS THAT IMPACT PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES THROUGH EPIGENETIC, INFLAMMATORY, AND REDOX REGULATION. MANY SDOH EXPOSURES MAY ADD TO OR POTENTIATE THE PATHOLOGIC EFFECTS OF ADDITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES. THIS OVERVIEW AIMS TO INFORM BASIC LIFE SCIENCE AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCHERS ABOUT SDOH EXPOSURES THAT CAN CONFOUND ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN CLASSIC BIOMEDICAL DETERMINANTS OF DISEASE AND HEALTH OUTCOMES. TO ADVANCE THE STUDY OF TOXICOLOGY THROUGH EITHER QUALITATIVE OR QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF EXPOSURES TO CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SUBSTANCES, A MORE COMPLETE ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION SHOULD INCLUDE SDOH EXPOSURES. WE DISCUSS COMMON APPROACHES TO MEASURE SDOH FACTORS AT INDIVIDUAL AND POPULATION LEVELS AND REVIEW THE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN SDOH RISK FACTORS AND PHYSIOLOGIC MECHANISMS THAT INFLUENCE CHRONIC DISEASE. WE PROVIDE CLINICAL AND POLICY-BASED MOTIVATION TO ENCOURAGE RESEARCHERS TO CONSIDER THE IMPACT OF SDOH EXPOSURES ON STUDY RESULTS AND DATA INTERPRETATION. WITH VALID MEASURES OF SDOH FACTORS INCORPORATED INTO STUDY DESIGN AND ANALYSES, FUTURE TOXICOLOGICAL RESEARCH MAY CONTRIBUTE TO AN EVIDENCE BASE THAT CAN BETTER INFORM PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OPTIONS, TO IMPROVE EQUITABLE CLINICAL CARE AND POPULATION HEALTH. (C) 2022 WILEY PERIODICALS LLC. 2022 13 5466 34 RESILIENCE: SAFETY IN THE AFTERMATH OF TRAUMATIC STRESSOR EXPERIENCES. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ADVERSE EXPERIENCES AND THE EMERGENCE OF PATHOLOGY HAS OFTEN FOCUSED ON CHARACTERISTICS OF THE STRESSOR OR OF THE INDIVIDUAL (STRESSOR APPRAISALS, COPING STRATEGIES). THESE FEATURES ARE THOUGHT TO INFLUENCE MULTIPLE BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES THAT FAVOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL ILLNESSES. LESS OFTEN HAS ATTENTION FOCUSED ON THE AFTERMATH OF TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY AND REASSURANCE THAT IS NECESSARY FOR LONGER-TERM WELL-BEING. IN SOME CASES (E.G., POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER) THIS MAY BE REFLECTED BY A FAILURE OF FEAR EXTINCTION, WHEREAS IN OTHER INSTANCES (E.G., HISTORICAL TRAUMA), THE UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE FUTURE MIGHT FOSTER CONTINUED ANXIETY. IN ESSENCE, THE QUESTION BECOMES ONE OF HOW INDIVIDUALS ATTAIN FEELINGS OF SAFETY WHEN IT IS FULLY UNDERSTOOD THAT THE WORLD IS NOT NECESSARILY A SAFE PLACE, UNCERTAINTIES ABOUND, AND FEELINGS OF AGENCY ARE OFTEN ILLUSORY. WE CONSIDER HOW INDIVIDUALS ACQUIRE RESILIENCE IN THE AFTERMATH OF TRAUMATIC AND CHRONIC STRESSORS. IN THIS RESPECT, WE REVIEW CHARACTERISTICS OF STRESSORS THAT MAY TRIGGER PARTICULAR BIOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL COPING RESPONSES, AS WELL AS FACTORS THAT UNDERMINE THEIR EFFICACY. TO THIS END, WE EXPLORE STRESSOR DYNAMICS AND SOCIAL PROCESSES THAT FOSTER RESILIENCE IN RESPONSE TO SPECIFIC TRAUMATIC, CHRONIC, AND UNCONTROLLABLE STRESSOR CONTEXTS (INTIMATE PARTNER ABUSE; REFUGEE MIGRATION; COLLECTIVE HISTORICAL TRAUMA). WE POINT TO RESILIENCE FACTORS THAT MAY COMPRISE NEUROBIOLOGICAL CHANGES, SUCH AS THOSE RELATED TO VARIOUS STRESSOR-PROVOKED HORMONES, NEUROTROPHINS, INFLAMMATORY IMMUNE, MICROBIAL, AND EPIGENETIC PROCESSES. THESE BEHAVIORAL AND BIOLOGICAL STRESS RESPONSES MAY INFLUENCE, AND BE INFLUENCED BY, FEELINGS OF SAFETY THAT COME ABOUT THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS, SPIRITUAL AND PLACE-BASED CONNECTIONS. 2020 14 5169 41 PRECONCEPTIONAL STRESS AND RACIAL DISPARITIES IN PRETERM BIRTH: AN OVERVIEW. OBJECTIVE: WE REVIEWED THE EVIDENCE FOR THREE THEORIES OF HOW PRECONCEPTIONAL PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESS COULD ACT AS A CONTRIBUTING DETERMINANT OF EXCESS PRETERM BIRTH RISK AMONG AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN: EARLY LIFE DEVELOPMENTAL PLASTICITY AND EPIGENETIC PROGRAMMING OF ADULT NEUROENDOCRINE SYSTEMS; BLUNTING, WEATHERING, OR DYSFUNCTION OF NEUROENDOCRINE AND IMMUNE FUNCTION IN RESPONSE TO CHRONIC STRESS ACTIVATION THROUGH THE LIFE COURSE; INDIVIDUALS' ADOPTION OF RISKY BEHAVIORS SUCH AS SMOKING AS A RESPONSE TO STRESSFUL STIMULI. METHODS: BASIC SCIENCE, CLINICAL, AND EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES INDEXED IN MEDLINE AND WEB OF SCIENCE DATABASES ON PRECONCEPTIONAL PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESS, PRETERM BIRTH AND RACE WERE REVIEWED. RESULTS: MIXED EVIDENCE LEANS TOWARDS MODEST ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN PRECONCEPTIONAL CHRONIC STRESS AND PRETERM BIRTH (FOR EXAMPLE COMMON ODDS RATIOS OF 1.2-1.4), PARTICULARLY IN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN, BUT IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER THIS ASSOCIATION IS CAUSAL OR EXPLAINS A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE BLACK-WHITE RACIAL DISPARITY IN PRETERM BIRTH. THE STRESS-PRETERM BIRTH ASSOCIATION MAY BE MEDIATED BY HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL AXIS DYSFUNCTION AND SUSCEPTIBILITY TO BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS, ALTHOUGH THESE MECHANISMS ARE INCOMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD. EVIDENCE FOR THE ROLE OF EPIGENETIC OR EARLY LIFE PROGRAMMING AS A DETERMINANT OF RACIAL DISPARITIES IN PRETERM BIRTH RISK IS MORE CIRCUMSTANTIAL. CONCLUSIONS: PRECONCEPTIONAL STRESS, DIRECTLY OR IN INTERACTION WITH HOST GENETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY OR INFECTION, REMAINS AN IMPORTANT HYPOTHESIZED RISK FACTOR FOR UNDERSTANDING AND REDUCING RACIAL DISPARITIES IN PRETERM BIRTH. FUTURE STUDIES THAT INTEGRATE ADEQUATELY SIZED EPIDEMIOLOGIC SAMPLES WITH MEASURES OF STRESS, INFECTION, AND GENE EXPRESSION, WILL ADVANCE OUR KNOWLEDGE AND ALLOW DEVELOPMENT OF TARGETED INTERVENTIONS. 2011 15 92 34 A PILOT STUDY INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF GENDER IN THE INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN GENE EXPRESSION, CHRONIC PAIN, AND ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES IN A CLINICAL SAMPLE OF YOUTH WITH CHRONIC PAIN. CHRONIC PAIN IS A HIGHLY PREVALENT AND COSTLY ISSUE THAT OFTEN EMERGES DURING CHILDHOOD OR ADOLESCENCE AND PERSISTS INTO ADULTHOOD. ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (ACES) INCREASE RISK FOR SEVERAL ADVERSE HEALTH CONDITIONS, INCLUDING CHRONIC PAIN. RECENT EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT PARENTAL TRAUMA (ACES, POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) SYMPTOMS) CONFERS RISK OF POOR HEALTH OUTCOMES IN THEIR CHILDREN. INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PARENTAL TRAUMA AND CHILD CHRONIC PAIN MAY BE MEDIATED BY EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS. A CLINICAL SAMPLE OF YOUTH WITH CHRONIC PAIN AND THEIR PARENTS COMPLETED PSYCHOMETRICALLY SOUND QUESTIONNAIRES ASSESSING ACES, PTSD SYMPTOMS, AND CHRONIC PAIN, AND PROVIDED A SALIVA SAMPLE. THESE WERE USED TO INVESTIGATE THE INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN FOUR EPIGENETIC BIOMARKERS (COMT, DRD2, GR, AND SERT), TRAUMA, AND CHRONIC PAIN. THE RESULTS INDICATED THAT THE SIGNIFICANT BIOMARKERS WERE DEPENDENT UPON THE GENDER OF THE CHILD, WHEREIN PARENTAL ACES SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATED WITH CHANGES IN DRD2 EXPRESSION IN FEMALE CHILDREN AND ALTERED COMT EXPRESSION IN THE PARENTS OF MALE CHILDREN. ADDITIONALLY, THE NATURE OF THE ACE (MALTREATMENT VS. HOUSEHOLD DYSFUNCTION) WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SPECIFIC EPIGENETIC CHANGES. THERE MAY BE DIFFERENT PATHWAYS THROUGH WHICH PARENTAL ACES CONFER RISK FOR POOR OUTCOMES FOR MALES AND FEMALES, HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE OF CHILD GENDER IN FUTURE INVESTIGATIONS. 2021 16 5658 29 SEX-DIMORPHIC PATHWAYS IN THE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN MATERNAL TRAIT ANXIETY, INFANT BDNF METHYLATION, AND NEGATIVE EMOTIONALITY. MATERNAL ANTENATAL ANXIETY IS AN EMERGING RISK FACTOR FOR CHILD EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT. BOTH SEX AND EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS, SUCH AS DNA METHYLATION, MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE EMBEDDING OF MATERNAL DISTRESS INTO EMOTIONAL OUTCOMES. HERE, WE INVESTIGATED SEX-DEPENDENT PATTERNS IN THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ANTENATAL MATERNAL TRAIT ANXIETY, METHYLATION OF THE BRAIN-DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR GENE (BDNF DNAM), AND INFANT NEGATIVE EMOTIONALITY (NE). MOTHER-INFANT DYADS (N = 276) WERE RECRUITED AT DELIVERY. MATERNAL TRAIT ANXIETY, AS A MARKER OF ANTENATAL CHRONIC STRESS EXPOSURE, WAS ASSESSED SOON AFTER DELIVERY USING THE STAIT-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY (STAI-Y). INFANTS' BDNF DNAM AT BIRTH WAS ASSESSED IN 11 CPG SITES IN BUCCAL CELLS WHEREAS INFANTS' NE WAS ASSESSED AT 3 (N = 225) AND 6 MONTHS (N = 189) USING THE INFANT BEHAVIOR QUESTIONNAIRE-REVISED (IBQ-R). HIERARCHICAL LINEAR ANALYSES SHOWED THAT HIGHER MATERNAL ANTENATAL ANXIETY WAS ASSOCIATED WITH GREATER 6-MONTH-OLDS' NE. FURTHERMORE, MATERNAL ANTENATAL ANXIETY PREDICTED GREATER INFANTS' BDNF DNAM IN FIVE CPG SITES IN MALES BUT NOT IN FEMALES. HIGHER METHYLATION AT THESE SITES WAS ASSOCIATED WITH GREATER 3-TO-6-MONTH NE INCREASE, INDEPENDENTLY OF INFANTS' SEX. MATERNAL ANTENATAL ANXIETY EMERGED AS A RISK FACTOR FOR INFANT'S NE. BDNF DNAM MIGHT MEDIATE THIS EFFECT IN MALES. THESE RESULTS MAY INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE MOTHERS AND INFANTS' EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. 2023 17 2646 32 EPIGENOMIC LINKS BETWEEN SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AND SYMPTOMS: A SCOPING REVIEW. SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH (SDOH) IMPACT HEALTH AND WELLNESS. THE LINK BETWEEN SDOH AND ADVERSE HEALTH OUTCOMES, INCLUDING SYMPTOM OCCURRENCE AND SEVERITY, MAY BE EXPLAINED BY AN INDIVIDUAL'S PHYSIOLOGIC RESPONSE TO ONE OR MORE SDOH. ONE POTENTIAL MECHANISM UNDERLYING THIS PHYSIOLOGIC RESPONSE LINKING SDOH AND SYMPTOMS IS THE DYNAMIC EPIGENOME. THE PURPOSE OF THIS SCOPING REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE WAS TO EXAMINE DIFFERENTIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY FOR SYMPTOMS BY IDENTIFYING AND SUMMARIZING RESEARCH LINKING SDOH AND SYMPTOMS THROUGH EPIGENOMIC MECHANISMS. PUBMED WAS SEARCHED TO IDENTIFY EMPIRICAL RESEARCH WHERE AT LEAST ONE SDOH WAS AN INDEPENDENT OR DEPENDENT VARIABLE, AT LEAST ONE SYMPTOM WAS INVESTIGATED, AND THE INVESTIGATION INCLUDED AN EPIGENOMIC MEASURE. OF THE 484 ARTICLES INITIALLY RETRIEVED, AFTER THOROUGH VETTING, 41 ARTICLES MET ELIGIBILITY. THE MOST STUDIED SYMPTOM WAS DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS FOLLOWED BY ANXIETY, COGNITIVE FUNCTION, SLEEP DYSFUNCTION, AND PAIN. THE MOST FREQUENTLY STUDIED SDOH WERE: 1) STRESS, PARTICULARLY EARLY LIFE STRESS AND ACCULTURATIVE STRESS; AND 2) TRAUMA, PREDOMINANTLY CHILDHOOD TRAUMA. DNA METHYLATION AND TELOMERE LENGTH WERE THE MOST STUDIED EPIGENOMIC MEASURES. FOUR GENES (SLC6A4, BDNF, NR3C1, OXTR) HAD EVIDENCE FROM MULTIPLE STUDIES AND ACROSS METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES LINKING SDOH TO SYMPTOMS. THIS REVIEW SUPPORTS THE INCLUSION OF EPIGENOMIC APPROACHES TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE LINK BETWEEN SDOH AND SYMPTOMS AND PROVIDES EVIDENCE THAT SDOH IMPACT TELOMERE LENGTH AND THE METHYLATION OF GENES INVOLVED IN NEUROTRANSMITTER SIGNALING, NEURONAL SURVIVAL, BEHAVIOR, INFLAMMATION AND STRESS RESPONSE. 2023 18 682 34 BRAIN ON STRESS: HOW THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT GETS UNDER THE SKIN. STRESS IS A STATE OF THE MIND, INVOLVING BOTH BRAIN AND BODY AS WELL AS THEIR INTERACTIONS; IT DIFFERS AMONG INDIVIDUALS AND REFLECTS NOT ONLY MAJOR LIFE EVENTS BUT ALSO THE CONFLICTS AND PRESSURES OF DAILY LIFE THAT ALTER PHYSIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS TO PRODUCE A CHRONIC STRESS BURDEN THAT, IN TURN, IS A FACTOR IN THE EXPRESSION OF DISEASE. THIS BURDEN REFLECTS THE IMPACT OF NOT ONLY LIFE EXPERIENCES BUT ALSO GENETIC VARIATIONS AND INDIVIDUAL HEALTH BEHAVIORS SUCH AS DIET, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, SLEEP, AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE; IT ALSO REFLECTS STABLE EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS IN DEVELOPMENT THAT SET LIFELONG PATTERNS OF PHYSIOLOGICAL REACTIVITY AND BEHAVIOR THROUGH BIOLOGICAL EMBEDDING OF EARLY ENVIRONMENTS INTERACTING WITH CUMULATIVE CHANGE FROM EXPERIENCES OVER THE LIFESPAN. HORMONES ASSOCIATED WITH THE CHRONIC STRESS BURDEN PROTECT THE BODY IN THE SHORT RUN AND PROMOTE ADAPTATION (ALLOSTASIS), BUT IN THE LONG RUN, THE BURDEN OF CHRONIC STRESS CAUSES CHANGES IN THE BRAIN AND BODY THAT CAN LEAD TO DISEASE (ALLOSTATIC LOAD AND OVERLOAD). BRAIN CIRCUITS ARE PLASTIC AND REMODELED BY STRESS TO CHANGE THE BALANCE BETWEEN ANXIETY, MOOD CONTROL, MEMORY, AND DECISION MAKING. SUCH CHANGES MAY HAVE ADAPTIVE VALUE IN PARTICULAR CONTEXTS, BUT THEIR PERSISTENCE AND LACK OF REVERSIBILITY CAN BE MALADAPTIVE. HOWEVER, THE CAPACITY OF BRAIN PLASTICITY TO EFFECTS OF STRESSFUL EXPERIENCES IN ADULT LIFE HAS ONLY BEGUN TO BE EXPLORED ALONG WITH THE EFFICACY OF TOP-DOWN STRATEGIES FOR HELPING THE BRAIN CHANGE ITSELF, SOMETIMES AIDED BY PHARMACEUTICAL AGENTS AND OTHER TREATMENTS. 2012 19 2949 23 GENETIC AND EPIGENETIC CONSEQUENCE OF EARLY-LIFE SOCIAL STRESS ON DEPRESSION: ROLE OF SEROTONIN-ASSOCIATED GENES. EARLY-LIFE ADVERSITY CAUSED BY POOR SOCIAL BONDING AND DEPRIVED MATERNAL CARE IS KNOWN TO AFFECT MENTAL WELLBEING AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. IT IS A FORM OF CHRONIC SOCIAL STRESS THAT PERSISTS BECAUSE OF A NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENT, AND THE CONSEQUENCES ARE LONG-LASTING ON MENTAL HEALTH. THE PRESENCE OF SOCIAL STRESS DURING EARLY LIFE CAN HAVE AN EPIGENETIC EFFECT ON THE BODY, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN MANY COMPLEX MENTAL DISORDERS, INCLUDING DEPRESSION IN LATER LIFE. HERE, WE REVIEW THE EVIDENCE FOR EARLY-LIFE SOCIAL STRESS-INDUCED EPIGENETIC CHANGES THAT MODULATE JUVENILE AND ADULT SOCIAL BEHAVIOR (DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY). THIS REVIEW HAS A PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON THE INTERACTION BETWEEN EARLY-LIFE SOCIAL STRESS AND GENETIC VARIATION OF SEROTONIN ASSOCIATE GENES INCLUDING THE SEROTONIN TRANSPORTER GENE (5-HTT; ALSO KNOWN AS SLC6A4), WHICH ARE KEY MOLECULES INVOLVED IN DEPRESSION. 2020 20 1058 39 CLINICAL MEASURES OF ALLOSTATIC LOAD IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH FOOD ALLERGY, DEPRESSION, OR ANXIETY. PURPOSE: SUSTAINED HIGH STRESS EXPOSURE RESULTS IN CHRONIC ACTIVATION OF THE STRESS RESPONSE SYSTEM, DYSREGULATED STRESS RESPONSES, HIGH ALLOSTATIC LOAD, AND POOR LATER-LIFE HEALTH. CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS FACE STRESSORS RELATED TO THEIR CONDITION IN ADDITION TO THOSE TYPICAL OF CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE, PLACING THEM AT RISK OF HIGH ALLOSTATIC LOAD. THE PURPOSE OF THIS SECONDARY ANALYSIS WAS TO EXAMINE WHETHER YOUTH WITH CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS DIFFER FROM CONTROLS ON CLINICAL MEASURES OF ALLOSTATIC LOAD. DESIGN AND METHODS: A SECONDARY ANALYSIS OF TWO DATASETS, THE ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD OF A TERTIARY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AND DATA FROM THE SURVEY OF THE HEALTH OF WISCONSIN, COMPARED YOUTH WITH CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS TO CONTROLS ON CLINICAL MEASURES OF ALLOSTATIC LOAD. ADDITIONAL ANALYSES EXPLORED WHETHER PARENTAL STRESS AND MENTAL HEALTH INFLUENCED THESE RELATIONSHIPS. RESULTS: ANALYSES IDENTIFIED DIFFERENCES IN BMI, BLOOD PRESSURE, AND WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE BETWEEN YOUTH WITH FOOD ALLERGY, ANXIETY, OR DEPRESSION, AND CONTROLS. THESE RELATIONSHIPS DIFFERED FOR MALES AND FEMALES AND FOR THOSE WITH COMORBID MENTAL AND PHYSICAL CONDITIONS, AND WERE INFLUENCED BY PARENT STRESS AND MENTAL HEALTH. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS SUPPORT FUTURE STUDIES EXPLORING WHETHER HIGH STRESS IN YOUTH WITH CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS LEADS TO INCREASED ALLOSTATIC LOAD. INCORPORATING BIOMARKERS AS WELL AS GENETIC AND EPIGENETIC FACTORS WILL PROVIDE CRITICAL INSIGHTS. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: YOUTH WITH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL CHCS MAY BE AT INCREASED RISK OF HIGH ALLOSTATIC LOAD, REFLECTED IN CLINICAL MEASURES OF METABOLISM, AND SHOULD HAVE REGULAR ASSESSMENTS OF THEIR METABOLIC HEALTH. 2021