The association between abuse history in childhood and salivary rhythms of cortisol and DHEA in postmenopausal women. (February 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Orta, Olivia R.; Huang, Tianyi; Kubzansky, Laura D.; Terry, Kathryn L.; Coull, Brent A.; Williams, Michelle A.; Tworoger, Shelley S.
• Is Part Of: Psychoneuroendocrinology. Volume 112(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-02
• Subjects: Child abuse -- Cortisol -- DHEA -- Postmenopausal -- Cortisol to DHEA ratio; Psychoneuroendocrinology -- Periodicals; Endocrinology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Neuropsychoendocrinologie -- Périodiques; 616.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104515
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-4530

Abstract

Highlights: Diurnal profiles differed in postmenopausal women with a history of severe early abuse. Specifically, diurnal DHEA rhythm differed with effects most evident in the evening. Early abuse was more consistently associated with altered DHEA than cortisol. Child abuse may impact later health via dysregulation of the HPA axis hormones. Abstract: A history of child abuse (CA) is associated with morbidity and mortality in adulthood, and one proposed mechanism is dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Therefore, we evaluated whether a history of physical and sexual CA was associated with daily rhythms of HPA hormones (cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)) among postmenopausal women (mean age: 60.6 years). In 2013, 233 participants from the Nurses' Health Study II provided up to 5-timed saliva samples over the course of a day: immediately upon awakening, 45 min, 4 h, and 10 h after waking, and prior to going to sleep. Among these 233 participants, 217 provided ≥4 timed saliva samples. Assessment of physical and sexual CA history occurred in 2001 using the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale. Cumulative CA history was derived by combining reports of physical and sexual abuse prior to age 18. Piecewise linear mixed models compared diurnal rhythms of cortisol and DHEA between participants with none-to-moderate CA (n = 104, reference group) versus high-to-severe CA (n = 113). Models adjusted for characteristics at each saliva collection, health status, sleep quality, medications, and hormone use. Compared to those with none-to-moderate CA, women with high-to-severe CA had different diurnal rhythms in the early and evening hours, including blunted (less steep) early declines in DHEA (% difference (%D) = 10.7, 95 % Confidence Interval (CI) 4.3, 17.5), and steeper late declines in both cortisol and DHEA (cortisol %D = -2.5, 95 % CI -4.8, -0.1, and DHEA %D= -3.9, 95 % CI -6.0, -1.8). In conclusion, high-to-severe abuse history prior to age 18 was more strongly associated with differences in DHEA rather than cortisol, suggesting that early life abuse may be related to dysregulation of stress-response mechanisms later in life.