Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms associated with child abuse: A bioinformatics study

Damaskopoulou,Elissavet; Papageorgiou,Louis; Eliopoulos,Elias; Chrousos,George P.; Vlachakis,Dimitrios

doi:10.3892/ije.2025.27

Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms associated with child abuse: A bioinformatics study

Authors:
- Elissavet Damaskopoulou
- Louis Papageorgiou
- Elias Eliopoulos
- George P. Chrousos
- Dimitrios Vlachakis
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Affiliations: Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
Published online on: May 26, 2025 https://doi.org/10.3892/ije.2025.27
Article Number: 4
Copyright : © Damaskopoulou et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License [CC BY 4.0].

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Abstract

Child abuse is a critical global issue that has profound consequences on mental and physical health. While environmental and social factors have been widely studied, the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms influencing susceptibility to child abuse and its long‑term effects remain underexplored. The present study employed a bioinformatics approach to identify genetic and epigenetic variations associated with child abuse. A database analysis and bioinformatics analysis were conducted to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms, differentially expressed genes, and pathways linked to stress responses, neurodevelopment and immune system regulation. The findings highlighted key genetic targets, including FKBP5, CRHR1, OXTR, NR3C1 and BDNF, which are implicated in stress regulation, emotional processing and resilience to trauma. Additionally, epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications were identified in genes related to the hypothalamic‑pituitary‑adrenal axis and the inflammatory response. On the whole, understanding these genetic and epigenetic mechanisms can provide insight into the biological underpinnings of child abuse‑related trauma. The present study supports the development of genetic risk assessment tools and targeted intervention strategies to mitigate the long‑term effects of abuse.

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