Associations of Early Life Stress With Mitochondrial DNA Deletions in Healthy Young Adults

Increasing evidence indicates that mitochondria respond to psychosocial stress and psychiatric illness. One recent study found elevated mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletions in the brains of individuals with psychiatric disorders, but no prior work has examined the relationship of mtDNA deletions and early life stress (ELS). This study assessed mtDNA deletions in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in healthy young adults, with or without ELS.