Childhood Poverty Affects Genes and Immune System

Childhood poverty, stress as adult, demographics such as age, sex and ethnicity leave an imprint on a person's genes. This plays a major role in the immune system.

According to the study conducted at the University of British Columbia and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics (CMMT) a person's life experiences play a role in shaping DNA methylation patterns.

The researchers examined a process known as DNA methylation in which a chemical molecule is added to DNA where it turns the genes on and off or setting them somewhere in between.

In addition to this the researchers also learnt that, childhood poverty irrespective of the socioeconomic status as an adult was correlated with the marks or methylation patterns left on genes.

"We found biological residue of early life poverty," said Michael Kobor, an associate professor of medical genetics at UBC, whose CMMT lab at the Child & Family Research Institute (CFRI) led the research. "This was based on clear evidence that environmental influences correlate with epigenetic patterns."

The variations in DNA methylation was also related to the amount of stress hormones produced by adults.

Kobor explained this with an example stating, "Like the chicken and the egg it is unknown whether increased stress as an adult could leave marks on DNA or whether the marks may play a role in the amount of stress hormones released."

The team discovered that methylation patterns were predictive of future immune responses, suggesting that early life experiences could play a role in our response to illness later in life.

The study was published last week in a special volume of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.