The Levels of Cortisol and Oxidative Stress and DNA Damage in Child and Adolescent Victims of Sexual Abuse with or without Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Date
2016
Journal Title
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Volume Title
Publisher
Psychiatry Investigation
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate whether cortisol and oxidative stress levels and DNA damage differ between individuals
who developed PTSD or not following a sexual trauma.
The study included 61 children aged between 5 and 17 years who sustained sexual abuse (M/F: 18/43). The patients were divided
into two groups: patients with PTSD and patients without PTSD based, based on the results of a structured psychiatric interview
(K-SADS-PL and CAPS-CA). Cortisol, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), coenzyme Q, 8-Hydroxy-2-Deoxyguanosine
(8-OHdG) were all evaluated by the ELISA method.
Our evaluation revealed a diagnosis of PTSD in 51% (n=31) of victims. There was no significant difference between the
groups with or without PTSD in terms of cortisol, GPx, SOD, coenzyme Q, and 8-OHdG levels. There was no correlation between CAPS
scores and GPx, SOD, coenzyme Q, and 8-OHdG levels between patients with or without PTSD. In patients with PTSD, both cortisol
and 8-OHdG levels decreased with increasing time after trauma, and there was no significant correlation with cortisol and 8-OHdG levels
in patients without PTSD.
Although the present study did not find any difference between the groups in terms of 8-OHdG concentrations, the decreases
in both cortisol and 8-OHdG levels with increasing time after trauma is considered to indicate a relationship between cortisol
and DNA damage.
Description
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Keywords
cortisol, DNA damage, Oxidative stress, PTSD, trauma, International Resources, Turkey
Citation
Şimşek, Ş., Yüksel, T., Kaplan, İ., Uysal, C., & Aktaş, H. (2016). The Levels of Cortisol and Oxidative Stress and DNA Damage in Child and Adolescent Victims of Sexual Abuse with or without Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Psychiatry Investigation, 13(6), 616–621.