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Cortisol and IL-6 Responses to Stress in Female Children Presenting at a Sexual Abuse Clinic

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Abstract

Since adults with histories of sexual abuse as children experience both dysregulation of cortisol and increased inflammatory markers, we hypothesized that plasma cortisol dysregulation and increased plasma IL-6 would be detectable at the first presentation of pre-pubertal girls to a sexual abuse clinic. Following the stressful forensic examination, the 11 patients recruited to the study had significantly different cortisol concentrations (p < 0.0075), depending on whether they resided with family (309 ± 101 nmol/l) or in a children’s home (157 ± 38 nmol/l). IL-6 was detected in all patients residing in a children’s home, with plasma cortisol and IL-6 being inversely correlated (r = −0.8875). Our study demonstrates an association between decreased cortisol secretion, inflammation, and place of residence in sexually abused girls.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Sister Portia Clark and all of the staff at the Teddy Bear Clinic, Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg. In addition, we would like to thank Dr. Melinda Suchard and Catherine Worsley of the Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, National Health Laboratory Services for their assistance with the cytokine assay. This work was supported by Iris Ellen Hodges Trust – Stress and Emotional Problems Grant to Dr. Lorna Jacklin.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 6th Floor, Health Sciences, 7 York Ave., Parktown, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2193

    Denise Muller & Neville Pitts

  2. Teddy Bear Clinic, Charlotte Maxeke Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Sheri Errington

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Christopher Paul Szabo

  4. Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Lorna Jacklin

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  1. Denise Muller
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  2. Sheri Errington
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  4. Neville Pitts
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  5. Lorna Jacklin
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Correspondence to Denise Muller.

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Muller, D., Errington, S., Szabo, C.P. et al. Cortisol and IL-6 Responses to Stress in Female Children Presenting at a Sexual Abuse Clinic. Journ Child Adol Trauma 7, 185–191 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-014-0019-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-014-0019-7

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