Childhood Traumas in Obese Women: Association With Deregulation of the Glucocorticoid Axis and Inflammatory State.

We postulate that childhood traumas are associated with deregulation of the glucocorticoid axis and the inflammatory system in obese women. The main objective of the study is to compare the salivary cortisol awaking response in obese women according to the presence of childhood trauma (assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, CTQ).

Obesity is an epidemic disease whose onset and development factors go beyond the simple energy balance. Current management strategies are often failing. It is therefore important to identify the underlying determinants of weight gain. The association of obesity in adulthood with trauma in childhood is now well established. However, the biological factors that account for this association are imperfectly known. The measurement of cortisol seems to be the most relevant biological marker of the link between obesity and life events. The majority of studies show that obesity is associated with increased exposure to glucocorticoids. However, some authors have recently reported that these measures are impacted by significant inter-individual variability which could be explained by differences in life events and especially in their perception. In addition, the autonomic nervous system with the secretion of catecholamines by the adrenal leads to the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, resulting in a low grade inflammation. The existence of childhood traumas and the association with other psychopathological disorders will be assessed using psychometric scales validated in French. The corticotropic axis will be evaluated by measuring cortisol in different matrices (saliva, urine, hair). The inflammatory state will be studied thanks to the determination of pro-inflammatory cytokines level in blood and immunophenotyping of myeloid-derived suppressor cells.