101
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Fu YY, Zhang T, Xiu MH, Tang W, Han M, Yun LT, Chen DC, Chen S, Tan SP, Soares JC, Tang WJ, Zhang XY. Altered serum levels of interleukin-3 in first-episode drug-naive and chronic medicated schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2016; 176:196-200. [PMID: 27237600 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2016.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Revised: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Elevated serum levels of Interleukin-3 (IL-3), a major component of the cytokines, have been observed in chronic and medicated patients with schizophrenia, but this elevation may reflect either or both medication and illness chronicity effects. Thus, we compared serum IL-3 levels in first-episode drug-naive (FEDN) to chronic medicated patients with schizophrenia and examined the association of IL-3 with their psychopathological symptoms. Serum IL-3 levels were assessed in 55 FEDN patients, 52 chronic medicated patients and 43 healthy controls. Schizophrenia symptomatology was assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Serum IL-3 levels were measured by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We found significantly lower IL-3 levels in FEDN patients than both chronic patients and healthy controls (both p<0.001), while IL-3 levels in chronic patients were markedly higher than in healthy controls. No significant association was observed between IL-3 and any clinical psychopathology in FEDN patients; however, we found a significant correlation between serum IL-3 levels and the PANSS general psychopathology subscore in chronic medicated patients (p<0.05). Decreased IL-3 levels in FEDN patients suggest that suppressed immune function may be associated with developing schizophrenia, but as the disease progresses IL-3 levels increase perhaps related to medication treatment or other factors that occur during chronic illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Yang Fu
- Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- Lucheng Psychiatric Hospital, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Mei Hong Xiu
- Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China; Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Tang
- Kangning Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Mei Han
- School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Australia; Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), Australia
| | - Long Tan Yun
- Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Da Chun Chen
- Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Song Chen
- Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Shu Ping Tan
- Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jair C Soares
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Wen Jie Tang
- Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Xiang Yang Zhang
- Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
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102
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Consistently altered expression of gene sets in postmortem brains of individuals with major psychiatric disorders. Transl Psychiatry 2016; 6:e890. [PMID: 27622934 PMCID: PMC5048210 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2016.173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The measurement of gene expression in postmortem brain is an important tool for understanding the pathogenesis of serious psychiatric disorders. We hypothesized that major molecular deficits associated with psychiatric disease would affect the entire brain, and such deficits may be shared across disorders. We performed RNA sequencing and quantified gene expression in the hippocampus of 100 brains in the Stanley Array Collection followed by replication in the orbitofrontal cortex of 57 brains in the Stanley Neuropathology Consortium. We then identified genes and canonical pathway gene sets with significantly altered expression in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in the hippocampus and in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression in the orbitofrontal cortex. Although expression of individual genes varied, gene sets were significantly enriched in both of the brain regions, and many of these were consistent across diagnostic groups. Further examination of core gene sets with consistently increased or decreased expression in both of the brain regions and across target disorders revealed that ribosomal genes are overexpressed while genes involved in neuronal processes, GABAergic signaling, endocytosis and antigen processing have predominantly decreased expression in affected individuals compared to controls without a psychiatric disorder. Our results highlight pathways of central importance to psychiatric health and emphasize messenger RNA processing and protein synthesis as potential therapeutic targets for all three of the disorders.
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103
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Pouget JG, Gonçalves VF, Spain SL, Finucane HK, Raychaudhuri S, Kennedy JL, Knight J. Genome-Wide Association Studies Suggest Limited Immune Gene Enrichment in Schizophrenia Compared to 5 Autoimmune Diseases. Schizophr Bull 2016; 42:1176-84. [PMID: 27242348 PMCID: PMC4988748 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbw059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
There has been intense debate over the immunological basis of schizophrenia, and the potential utility of adjunct immunotherapies. The major histocompatibility complex is consistently the most powerful region of association in genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of schizophrenia and has been interpreted as strong genetic evidence supporting the immune hypothesis. However, global pathway analyses provide inconsistent evidence of immune involvement in schizophrenia, and it remains unclear whether genetic data support an immune etiology per se. Here we empirically test the hypothesis that variation in immune genes contributes to schizophrenia. We show that there is no enrichment of immune loci outside of the MHC region in the largest genetic study of schizophrenia conducted to date, in contrast to 5 diseases of known immune origin. Among 108 regions of the genome previously associated with schizophrenia, we identify 6 immune candidates (DPP4, HSPD1, EGR1, CLU, ESAM, NFATC3) encoding proteins with alternative, nonimmune roles in the brain. While our findings do not refute evidence that has accumulated in support of the immune hypothesis, they suggest that genetically mediated alterations in immune function may not play a major role in schizophrenia susceptibility. Instead, there may be a role for pleiotropic effects of a small number of immune genes that also regulate brain development and plasticity. Whether immune alterations drive schizophrenia progression is an important question to be addressed by future research, especially in light of the growing interest in applying immunotherapies in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennie G. Pouget
- *To whom correspondence should be addressed; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R8, Canada; tel: 416-535-8501, fax: 416-979-4666, e-mail:
| | - Vanessa F. Gonçalves
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada;,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Sarah L. Spain
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK;,Division of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Hilary K. Finucane
- Department of Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA;,Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | | | | | - Jo Knight
- Biostatistics Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada;,Lancaster Medical School and Data Science Institute, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
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104
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Zhang XY, Tan YL, Chen DC, Tan SP, Malouta MZ, Bernard JD, Combs JL, Bhatti S, Davis MC, Kosten TR, Soares JC. Serum IL-18 level, clinical symptoms and IL-18-607A/C polymorphism among chronic patients with schizophrenia in a Chinese Han population. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 68:140-7. [PMID: 26974498 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2016] [Revised: 02/22/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Literature suggests that alterations in the inflammatory and immune systems are involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Specifically, patients diagnosed with schizophrenia exhibit increased IL-18, a pleiotropic proinflammatory cytokine in type 1 T-helper (Th1) responses. The functional 607A/C promoter polymorphism of the IL-18 gene is also associated with the psychopathology of this disorder. However, no current study has explored its role in the clinical symptoms of schizophrenia as mediated through IL-18 levels. We recruited 772 inpatients with schizophrenia and 775 healthy controls in a Han Chinese population and genotyped the IL-18-607A/C polymorphism. Patient psychopathology was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Serum IL-18 levels were measured in 80 patients and 93 healthy controls. Our results showed that there were no significant differences in the distribution of the allele and genotype frequencies between the patients and controls. Both increased IL-18 serum level and the IL-18-607A/C polymorphism were positively associated with the PANSS general psychopathology subscore and the PANSS total score. Moreover, interaction of increased IL-18 serum level and the IL-18-607A/C polymorphism influenced the clinical psychopathological symptoms, indicating that association of IL-18 level with the PANSS general psychopathology subscale or the total scores was present only among patients carrying the C allele. We demonstrate an association between the IL-18-607A/C variant and clinical psychopathological symptoms in schizophrenia. Findings suggest that the association between higher IL-18 levels and clinical symptoms in schizophrenia is dependent on the IL-18-607A/C polymorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Yang Zhang
- Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Yun-Long Tan
- Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Da-Chun Chen
- Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Shu-Ping Tan
- Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Michelle Z Malouta
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jared D Bernard
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jessica L Combs
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sarai Bhatti
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Michael C Davis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Thomas R Kosten
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jair C Soares
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
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105
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Severance EG, Gressitt KL, Stallings CR, Katsafanas E, Schweinfurth LA, Savage CL, Adamos MB, Sweeney KM, Origoni AE, Khushalani S, Leweke FM, Dickerson FB, Yolken RH. Candida albicans exposures, sex specificity and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. NPJ SCHIZOPHRENIA 2016; 2:16018. [PMID: 27336058 PMCID: PMC4898895 DOI: 10.1038/npjschz.2016.18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Revised: 03/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Immune aberrations in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have led to the hypotheses that infectious agents or corresponding immune responses might contribute to psychiatric etiopathogeneses. We investigated case-control differences in exposure to the opportunistic fungal pathogen, Candida albicans, and examined associations with cognition, medication, lifestyle, and somatic conditions. We quantified C. albicans IgG antibodies in two cohorts totaling 947 individuals and evaluated odds ratios (OR) of exposure with psychiatric disorder using multivariate regressions. The case-control cohort included 261 with schizophrenia, 270 with bipolar disorder, and 277 non-psychiatric controls; the second included 139 with first-episode schizophrenia, 78 of whom were antipsychotic naive. No differences in C. albicans exposures were found until diagnostic groups were stratified by sex. In males, C. albicans seropositivity conferred increased odds for a schizophrenia diagnosis (OR 2.04-9.53, P⩽0.0001). In females, C. albicans seropositivity conferred increased odds for lower cognitive scores on Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) in schizophrenia (OR 1.12, P⩽0.004), with significant decreases on memory modules for both disorders (P⩽0.0007-0.03). C. albicans IgG levels were not impacted by antipsychotic medications. Gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances were associated with elevated C. albicans in males with schizophrenia and females with bipolar disorder (P⩽0.009-0.02). C. albicans exposure was associated with homelessness in bipolar males (P⩽0.0015). In conclusion, sex-specific C. albicans immune responses were evident in psychiatric disorder subsets. Inquiry regarding C. albicans infection or symptoms may expedite amelioration of this treatable comorbid condition. Yeast exposure as a risk factor for schizophrenia and its associated cognitive and GI effects require further investigation including the possible contribution of gut-brain mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily G Severance
- Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kristin L Gressitt
- Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Emily Katsafanas
- Sheppard Pratt Health System, Stanley Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Christina L Savage
- Sheppard Pratt Health System, Stanley Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Maria B Adamos
- Sheppard Pratt Health System, Stanley Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kevin M Sweeney
- Sheppard Pratt Health System, Stanley Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Andrea E Origoni
- Sheppard Pratt Health System, Stanley Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sunil Khushalani
- Sheppard Pratt Health System, Stanley Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - F Markus Leweke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Faith B Dickerson
- Sheppard Pratt Health System, Stanley Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robert H Yolken
- Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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106
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Association of serum VEGF levels with prefrontal cortex volume in schizophrenia. Mol Psychiatry 2016; 21:686-92. [PMID: 26169975 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2015.96] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Revised: 05/05/2015] [Accepted: 06/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
A large body of evidence indicates alterations in brain regional cellular energy metabolism and blood flow in schizophrenia. Among the different molecules regulating blood flow, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is generally accepted as the major factor involved in the process of angiogenesis. In the present study, we examined whether peripheral VEGF levels correlate with changes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) volume in patients with schizophrenia and in healthy controls. Whole-blood samples were obtained from 96 people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and 83 healthy controls. Serum VEGF protein levels were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, whereas quantitative PCR was performed to measure interleukin-6 (IL-6, a pro-inflammatory marker implicated in schizophrenia) mRNA levels in the blood samples. Structural magnetic resonance imaging scans were obtained using a 3T Achieva scanner on a subset of 59 people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and 65 healthy controls, and prefrontal volumes were obtained using FreeSurfer software. As compared with healthy controls, individuals with schizophrenia had a significant increase in log-transformed mean serum VEGF levels (t(177)=2.9, P=0.005). A significant inverse correlation (r=-0.40, P=0.002) between serum VEGF and total frontal pole volume was found in patients with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder. Moreover, we observed a significant positive association (r=0.24, P=0.03) between serum VEGF and IL-6 mRNA levels in patients with schizophrenia. These findings suggest an association between serum VEGF and inflammation, and that serum VEGF levels are related to structural abnormalities in the PFC of people with schizophrenia.
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107
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Coughlin JM, Wang Y, Ambinder EB, Ward RE, Minn I, Vranesic M, Kim PK, Ford CN, Higgs C, Hayes LN, Schretlen DJ, Dannals RF, Kassiou M, Sawa A, Pomper MG. In vivo markers of inflammatory response in recent-onset schizophrenia: a combined study using [(11)C]DPA-713 PET and analysis of CSF and plasma. Transl Psychiatry 2016; 6:e777. [PMID: 27070405 PMCID: PMC4872398 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2016.40] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Revised: 01/19/2016] [Accepted: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Several lines of evidence suggest aberrant immune response in schizophrenia, including elevated levels of cytokines. These cytokines are thought to be produced by activated microglia, the innate immune cells of the central nervous system. However, increase in translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO), a marker of activated glia, has not been found in patients with chronic schizophrenia using second-generation radiotracers and positron emission tomography (PET)-based neuroimaging. In this study we focused on patients with recent onset of schizophrenia (within 5 years of diagnosis). Quantified levels of TSPO in the cortical and subcortical brain regions using the PET-based radiotracer [(11)C]DPA-713 were compared between the patients and healthy controls. Markers of inflammation, including interleukin 6 (IL-6), were assessed in the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in these participants. We observed no significant change in the binding of [(11)C]DPA-713 to TSPO in 12 patients with recent onset of schizophrenia compared with 14 controls. Nevertheless, the patients with recent onset of schizophrenia showed a significant increase in IL-6 in both plasma (P<0.001) and CSF (P=0.02). The CSF levels of IL-6 were significantly correlated with the levels of IL-6 in plasma within the total study population (P<0.001) and in patients with recent onset of schizophrenia alone (P=0.03). Our results suggest that increased levels of IL-6 may occur in the absence of changed TSPO PET signal in the brains of medicated patients with recent onset of schizophrenia. Future development of PET-based radiotracers targeting alternative markers of glial activation and immune response may be needed to capture the inflammatory signature present in the brains of patients with early-stage disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Coughlin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Y Wang
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - E B Ambinder
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - R E Ward
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - I Minn
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - M Vranesic
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - P K Kim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - C N Ford
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - C Higgs
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - L N Hayes
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - D J Schretlen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - R F Dannals
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - M Kassiou
- School of Chemistry and Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - A Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - M G Pomper
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
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108
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Lai CY, Scarr E, Udawela M, Everall I, Chen WJ, Dean B. Biomarkers in schizophrenia: A focus on blood based diagnostics and theranostics. World J Psychiatry 2016; 6:102-17. [PMID: 27014601 PMCID: PMC4804259 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v6.i1.102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Revised: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Identifying biomarkers that can be used as diagnostics or predictors of treatment response (theranostics) in people with schizophrenia (Sz) will be an important step towards being able to provide personalized treatment. Findings from the studies in brain tissue have not yet been translated into biomarkers that are practical in clinical use because brain biopsies are not acceptable and neuroimaging techniques are expensive and the results are inconclusive. Thus, in recent years, there has been search for blood-based biomarkers for Sz as a valid alternative. Although there are some encouraging preliminary data to support the notion of peripheral biomarkers for Sz, it must be acknowledged that Sz is a complex and heterogeneous disorder which needs to be further dissected into subtype using biological based and clinical markers. The scope of this review is to critically examine published blood-based biomarker of Sz, focusing on possible uses for diagnosis, treatment response, or their relationship with schizophrenia-associated phenotype. We sorted the studies into six categories which include: (1) brain-derived neurotrophic factor; (2) inflammation and immune function; (3) neurochemistry; (4) oxidative stress response and metabolism; (5) epigenetics and microRNA; and (6) transcriptome and proteome studies. This review also summarized the molecules which have been conclusively reported as potential blood-based biomarkers for Sz in different blood cell types. Finally, we further discusses the pitfall of current blood-based studies and suggest that a prediction model-based, Sz specific, blood oriented study design as well as standardize blood collection conditions would be useful for Sz biomarker development.
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109
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Johnsen E, Fathian F, Kroken RA, Steen VM, Jørgensen HA, Gjestad R, Løberg EM. The serum level of C-reactive protein (CRP) is associated with cognitive performance in acute phase psychosis. BMC Psychiatry 2016; 16:60. [PMID: 26973142 PMCID: PMC4790054 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-016-0769-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Inflammatory processes have been implicated in the etiology of schizophrenia and related psychoses, in which cognitive deficits represent core symptoms. The aim of the present study was to investigate possible associations between the level of the inflammation marker C-reactive protein (CRP) and cognitive performance in patients through the acute phase of psychosis. METHODS A total of 124 patients were assessed at admittance to hospital and 62 patients were retested at discharge or after 6 weeks at the latest, with measurements of the CRP levels and alternative forms of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status. RESULTS There was an inverse relationship between overall cognitive performance and CRP level at admittance. The association increased in sub-analyses including only patients with schizophrenia. In cognitive subdomain analyses statistically significant inverse associations were found between the CRP level and Delayed memory and Attention, respectively. No associations were found between CRP level and other measures of psychopathology including psychosis symptoms, depression, or functioning. At follow-up the association between CRP level and cognition was no longer present. There was a significant increase in cognitive performance between baseline and follow-up. There was a stronger increase in overall cognition scores in patients with higher baseline CRP levels. CONCLUSIONS The findings indicate that signs of inflammation may serve as a state-dependent marker of cognitive dysfunctions in acute psychosis. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov ID; NCT00932529 , registration date: 02.07.2009.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Johnsen
- Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway. .,Department of Clinical Medicine, Section Psychiatry, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
| | | | - Rune A. Kroken
- Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway ,Department of Clinical Medicine, Section Psychiatry, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Vidar M. Steen
- NORMENT and KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway ,Dr. Einar Martens Research Group for Biological Psychiatry, Center for Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Hugo A. Jørgensen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Section Psychiatry, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Rolf Gjestad
- Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Else-Marie Løberg
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway ,Department of Addiction Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
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110
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Schork AJ, Wang Y, Thompson WK, Dale AM, Andreassen OA. New statistical approaches exploit the polygenic architecture of schizophrenia--implications for the underlying neurobiology. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2016; 36:89-98. [PMID: 26555806 PMCID: PMC5380793 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2015.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Revised: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a complex disorder with high heritability. Recent findings from several large genetic studies suggest a large number of risk variants are involved (i.e. schizophrenia is a polygenic disorder) and analytic approaches could be tailored for this scenario. Novel statistical approaches for analyzing GWAS data have recently been developed to be more sensitive to polygenic traits. These approaches have provided intriguing new insights into neurobiological pathways and support for the involvement of regulatory mechanisms, neurotransmission (glutamate, dopamine, GABA), and immune and neurodevelopmental pathways. Integrating the emerging statistical genetics evidence with sound neurobiological experiments will be a crucial, and challenging, next step in deciphering the specific disease mechanisms of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Schork
- Multimodal Imaging Laboratory, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Center for Human Development, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Cognitive Science, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yunpeng Wang
- Multimodal Imaging Laboratory, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; NORMENT, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Neuroscience, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Wesley K Thompson
- Multimodal Imaging Laboratory, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Anders M Dale
- Multimodal Imaging Laboratory, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Neuroscience, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Radiology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- NORMENT, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
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111
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Severance EG, Yolken RH. Role of Immune and Autoimmune Dysfunction in Schizophrenia. HANDBOOK OF BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2016; 23:501-516. [PMID: 33456427 PMCID: PMC7173552 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-800981-9.00029-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In this chapter, we review data in support of the concept that immune system dysregulation is the most plausible explanation that reconciles gene by environmental interactions in schizophrenia. Early investigations of this topic demonstrated aspects of aberrant activation of humoral immunity, including autoimmunity, associated with schizophrenia, whereas current research efforts have expanded this theme to include elements of innate immunity. Advances in our understanding of inflammation and molecules of both the adaptive and innate immune system and their functional roles in standard brain physiology provide an important context by which schizophrenia might arise as the result of the coupling of immune and neurodevelopmental dysregulation.
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112
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Logotheti M, Pilalis E, Venizelos N, Kolisis F, Chatziioannou A. Development and validation of a skin fibroblast biomarker profile for schizophrenic patients. AIMS BIOENGINEERING 2016. [DOI: 10.3934/bioeng.2016.4.552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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113
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Brown JA, Ramikie TS, Schmidt MJ, Báldi R, Garbett K, Everheart MG, Warren LE, Gellért L, Horváth S, Patel S, Mirnics K. Inhibition of parvalbumin-expressing interneurons results in complex behavioral changes. Mol Psychiatry 2015; 20:1499-507. [PMID: 25623945 PMCID: PMC4516717 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2014.192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2014] [Revised: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 12/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Reduced expression of the Gad1 gene-encoded 67-kDa protein isoform of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67) is a hallmark of schizophrenia. GAD67 downregulation occurs in multiple interneuronal sub-populations, including the parvalbumin-positive (PVALB+) cells. To investigate the role of the PV-positive GABAergic interneurons in behavioral and molecular processes, we knocked down the Gad1 transcript using a microRNA engineered to target specifically Gad1 mRNA under the control of Pvalb bacterial artificial chromosome. Verification of construct expression was performed by immunohistochemistry. Follow-up electrophysiological studies revealed a significant reduction in γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) release probability without alterations in postsynaptic membrane properties or changes in glutamatergic release probability in the prefrontal cortex pyramidal neurons. Behavioral characterization of our transgenic (Tg) mice uncovered that the Pvalb/Gad1 Tg mice have pronounced sensorimotor gating deficits, increased novelty-seeking and reduced fear extinction. Furthermore, NMDA (N-methyl-d-aspartate) receptor antagonism by ketamine had an opposing dose-dependent effect, suggesting that the differential dosage of ketamine might have divergent effects on behavioral processes. All behavioral studies were validated using a second cohort of animals. Our results suggest that reduction of GABAergic transmission from PVALB+ interneurons primarily impacts behavioral domains related to fear and novelty seeking and that these alterations might be related to the behavioral phenotype observed in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacquelyn A. Brown
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA,Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Teniel S. Ramikie
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA,Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Martin J. Schmidt
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA,Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Rita Báldi
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Krassimira Garbett
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | | | - Lambert E. Warren
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Levente Gellért
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Szatmár Horváth
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA,Department of Psychiatry, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Sachin Patel
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA,Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Károly Mirnics
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA,Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA,Department of Psychiatry, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary,Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA,Correspondence: Karoly Mirnics, Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, 8130A MRB III, 465 21st Avenue South, Nashville TN 37232, USA, , Office phone: 615-936-1074, www.mirnicslab.org
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114
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Ibi D, Yamada K. Therapeutic Targets for Neurodevelopmental Disorders Emerging from Animal Models with Perinatal Immune Activation. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:28218-29. [PMID: 26633355 PMCID: PMC4691039 DOI: 10.3390/ijms161226092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Revised: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing epidemiological evidence indicates that perinatal infection with various viral pathogens enhances the risk for several psychiatric disorders. The pathophysiological significance of astrocyte interactions with neurons and/or gut microbiomes has been reported in neurodevelopmental disorders triggered by pre- and postnatal immune insults. Recent studies with the maternal immune activation or neonatal polyriboinosinic polyribocytidylic acid models of neurodevelopmental disorders have identified various candidate molecules that could be responsible for brain dysfunction. Here, we review the functions of several candidate molecules in neurodevelopment and brain function and discuss their potential as therapeutic targets for psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Ibi
- Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Meijo University, 150 Yagotoyama, Tenpaku-ku, Nagoya 468-8503, Japan.
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan.
| | - Kiyofumi Yamada
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan.
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115
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Grayson DR, Guidotti A. Merging data from genetic and epigenetic approaches to better understand autistic spectrum disorder. Epigenomics 2015; 8:85-104. [PMID: 26551091 PMCID: PMC4864049 DOI: 10.2217/epi.15.92] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by a wide range of cognitive and behavioral abnormalities. Genetic research has identified large numbers of genes that contribute to ASD phenotypes. There is compelling evidence that environmental factors contribute to ASD through influences that differentially impact the brain through epigenetic mechanisms. Both genetic mutations and epigenetic influences alter gene expression in different cell types of the brain. Mutations impact the expression of large numbers of genes and also have downstream consequences depending on specific pathways associated with the mutation. Environmental factors impact the expression of sets of genes by altering methylation/hydroxymethylation patterns, local histone modification patterns and chromatin remodeling. Herein, we discuss recent developments in the research of ASD with a focus on epigenetic pathways as a complement to current genetic screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis R Grayson
- Department of Psychiatry, The Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Alessandro Guidotti
- Department of Psychiatry, The Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL 60607, USA
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116
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Converging models of schizophrenia--Network alterations of prefrontal cortex underlying cognitive impairments. Prog Neurobiol 2015; 134:178-201. [PMID: 26408506 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2015.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2015] [Revised: 09/10/2015] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) and its connections with other brain areas are crucial for cognitive function. Cognitive impairments are one of the core symptoms associated with schizophrenia, and manifest even before the onset of the disorder. Altered neural networks involving PFC contribute to cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. Both genetic and environmental risk factors affect the development of the local circuitry within PFC as well as development of broader brain networks, and make the system vulnerable to further insults during adolescence, leading to the onset of the disorder in young adulthood. Since spared cognitive functions correlate with functional outcome and prognosis, a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying cognitive impairments will have important implications for novel therapeutics for schizophrenia focusing on cognitive functions. Multidisciplinary approaches, from basic neuroscience to clinical studies, are required to link molecules, circuitry, networks, and behavioral phenotypes. Close interactions among such fields by sharing a common language on connectomes, behavioral readouts, and other concepts are crucial for this goal.
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117
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Berretta S, Pantazopoulos H, Markota M, Brown C, Batzianouli ET. Losing the sugar coating: potential impact of perineuronal net abnormalities on interneurons in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2015; 167:18-27. [PMID: 25601362 PMCID: PMC4504843 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2014.12.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2014] [Revised: 12/23/2014] [Accepted: 12/29/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Perineuronal nets (PNNs) were shown to be markedly altered in subjects with schizophrenia. In particular, decreases of PNNs have been detected in the amygdala, entorhinal cortex and prefrontal cortex. The formation of these specialized extracellular matrix (ECM) aggregates during postnatal development, their functions, and association with distinct populations of GABAergic interneurons, bear great relevance to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. PNNs gradually mature in an experience-dependent manner during late stages of postnatal development, overlapping with the prodromal period/age of onset of schizophrenia. Throughout adulthood, PNNs regulate neuronal properties, including synaptic remodeling, cell membrane compartmentalization and subsequent regulation of glutamate receptors and calcium channels, and susceptibility to oxidative stress. With the present paper, we discuss evidence for PNN abnormalities in schizophrenia, the potential functional impact of such abnormalities on inhibitory circuits and, in turn, cognitive and emotion processing. We integrate these considerations with results from recent genetic studies showing genetic susceptibility for schizophrenia associated with genes encoding for PNN components, matrix-regulating molecules and immune system factors. Notably, the composition of PNNs is regulated dynamically in response to factors such as fear, reward, stress, and immune response. This regulation occurs through families of matrix metalloproteinases that cleave ECM components, altering their functions and affecting plasticity. Several metalloproteinases have been proposed as vulnerability factors for schizophrenia. We speculate that the physiological process of PNN remodeling may be disrupted in schizophrenia as a result of interactions between matrix remodeling processes and immune system dysregulation. In turn, these mechanisms may contribute to the dysfunction of GABAergic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabina Berretta
- Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, Mclean Hospital, 115 Mill St., Belmont, MA 02478, USA; Dept. of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St., Boston, MA 02115, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St., Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Harry Pantazopoulos
- Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, Mclean Hospital, 115 Mill St., Belmont, MA 02478, USA; Dept. of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Matej Markota
- Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, Mclean Hospital, 115 Mill St., Belmont, MA 02478, USA; Dept. of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Christopher Brown
- Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, Mclean Hospital, 115 Mill St., Belmont, MA 02478, USA
| | - Eleni T Batzianouli
- Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, Mclean Hospital, 115 Mill St., Belmont, MA 02478, USA; Dept. of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St., Boston, MA 02115, USA
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118
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Liu H, Cai H, Ren Z, Zhong J, Li J. Clozapine Regulates Cytokines, T-cell Subsets and Immunoglobulins Serum Levels in MK-801-Evoked Schizophrenia Rat. INT J PHARMACOL 2015. [DOI: 10.3923/ijp.2015.596.603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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119
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Adaptive Immunity in Schizophrenia: Functional Implications of T Cells in the Etiology, Course and Treatment. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2015; 10:610-9. [PMID: 26162591 DOI: 10.1007/s11481-015-9626-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 07/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe and highly complex neurodevelopmental disorder with an unknown etiopathology. Recently, immunopathogenesis has emerged as one of the most compelling etiological models of schizophrenia. Over the past few years considerable research has been devoted to the role of innate immune responses in schizophrenia. The findings of such studies have helped to conceptualize schizophrenia as a chronic low-grade inflammatory disorder. Although the contribution of adaptive immune responses has also been emphasized, however, the precise role of T cells in the underlying neurobiological pathways of schizophrenia is yet to be ascertained comprehensively. T cells have the ability to infiltrate brain and mediate neuro-immune cross-talk. Conversely, the central nervous system and the neurotransmitters are capable of regulating the immune system. Neurotransmitter like dopamine, implicated widely in schizophrenia risk and progression can modulate the proliferation, trafficking and functions of T cells. Within brain, T cells activate microglia, induce production of pro-inflammatory cytokines as well as reactive oxygen species and subsequently lead to neuroinflammation. Importantly, such processes contribute to neuronal injury/death and are gradually being implicated as mediators of neuroprogressive changes in schizophrenia. Antipsychotic drugs, commonly used to treat schizophrenia are also known to affect adaptive immune system; interfere with the differentiation and functions of T cells. This understanding suggests a pivotal role of T cells in the etiology, course and treatment of schizophrenia and forms the basis of this review.
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120
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Altered activation of innate immunity associates with white matter volume and diffusion in first-episode psychosis. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0125112. [PMID: 25970596 PMCID: PMC4430522 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 03/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
First-episode psychosis (FEP) is associated with inflammatory and brain structural changes, but few studies have investigated whether systemic inflammation associates with brain structural changes in FEP. Thirty-seven FEP patients (median 27 days on antipsychotic medication), and 19 matched controls were recruited. Serum levels of 38 chemokines and cytokines, and cardiovascular risk markers were measured at baseline and 2 months later. We collected T1- and diffusion-weighted MRIs with a 3 T scanner from the patients at baseline. We analyzed the association of psychosis-related inflammatory markers with gray and white matter (WM) volume using voxel-based morphometry and WM diffusion using tract-based spatial statistics with whole-brain and region-of-interest (ROI) analyses. FEP patients had higher CCL22 and lower TGFα, CXCL1, CCL7, IFN-α2 and ApoA-I than controls. CCL22 decreased significantly between baseline and 2 months in patients but was still higher than in controls. The association between inflammatory markers and FEP remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, smoking and BMI. We did not observe a correlation of inflammatory markers with any symptoms or duration of antipsychotic treatment. Baseline CCL22 levels correlated negatively with WM volume and positively with mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity bilaterally in the frontal lobes in ROI analyses. Decreased serum level of ApoA-I was associated with smaller volume of the medial temporal WM. In whole-brain analyses, CCL22 correlated positively with mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity, and CXCL1 associated negatively with fractional anisotropy and positively with mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity in several brain regions. This is the first report to demonstrate an association between circulating chemokine levels and WM in FEP patients. Interestingly, CCL22 has been previously implicated in autoimmune diseases associated with WM pathology. The results suggest that an altered activation of innate immunity may contribute to WM damage in psychotic disorders.
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121
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Brucato N, Guadalupe T, Franke B, Fisher SE, Francks C. A schizophrenia-associated HLA locus affects thalamus volume and asymmetry. Brain Behav Immun 2015; 46:311-8. [PMID: 25728236 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2015.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2014] [Revised: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 02/07/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Genes of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) have recently been shown to have neuronal functions in the thalamus and hippocampus. Common genetic variants in the Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) region, human homologue of the MHC locus, are associated with small effects on susceptibility to schizophrenia, while volumetric changes of the thalamus and hippocampus have also been linked to schizophrenia. We therefore investigated whether common variants of the HLA would affect volumetric variation of the thalamus and hippocampus. We analysed thalamus and hippocampus volumes, as measured using structural magnetic resonance imaging, in 1.265 healthy participants. These participants had also been genotyped using genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays. We imputed genotypes for single nucleotide polymorphisms at high density across the HLA locus, as well as HLA allotypes and HLA amino acids, by use of a reference population dataset that was specifically targeted to the HLA region. We detected a significant association of the SNP rs17194174 with thalamus volume (nominal P=0.0000017, corrected P=0.0039), as well as additional SNPs within the same region of linkage disequilibrium. This effect was largely lateralized to the left thalamus and is localized within a genomic region previously associated with schizophrenia. The associated SNPs are also clustered within a potential regulatory element, and a region of linkage disequilibrium that spans genes expressed in the thalamus, including HLA-A. Our data indicate that genetic variation within the HLA region influences the volume and asymmetry of the human thalamus. The molecular mechanisms underlying this association may relate to HLA influences on susceptibility to schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Brucato
- Language & Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Tulio Guadalupe
- Language & Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; International Max Planck Research School for Language Sciences, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara Franke
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Simon E Fisher
- Language & Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Clyde Francks
- Language & Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Chen J, Lin M, Hrabovsky A, Pedrosa E, Dean J, Jain S, Zheng D, Lachman HM. ZNF804A Transcriptional Networks in Differentiating Neurons Derived from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells of Human Origin. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0124597. [PMID: 25905630 PMCID: PMC4408091 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
ZNF804A (Zinc Finger Protein 804A) has been identified as a candidate gene for schizophrenia (SZ), autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and bipolar disorder (BD) in replicated genome wide association studies (GWAS) and by copy number variation (CNV) analysis. Although its function has not been well-characterized, ZNF804A contains a C2H2-type zinc-finger domain, suggesting that it has DNA binding properties, and consequently, a role in regulating gene expression. To further explore the role of ZNF804A on gene expression and its downstream targets, we used a gene knockdown (KD) approach to reduce its expression in neural progenitor cells (NPCs) derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). KD was accomplished by RNA interference (RNAi) using lentiviral particles containing shRNAs that target ZNF804A mRNA. Stable transduced NPC lines were generated after puromycin selection. A control cell line expressing a random (scrambled) shRNA was also generated. Neuronal differentiation was induced, RNA was harvested after 14 days and transcriptome analysis was carried out using RNA-seq. 1815 genes were found to be differentially expressed at a nominally significant level (p<0.05); 809 decreased in expression in the KD samples, while 1106 increased. Of these, 370 achieved genome wide significance (FDR<0.05); 125 were lower in the KD samples, 245 were higher. Pathway analysis showed that genes involved in interferon-signaling were enriched among those that were down-regulated in the KD samples. Correspondingly, ZNF804A KD was found to affect interferon-alpha 2 (IFNA2)-mediated gene expression. The findings suggest that ZNF804A may affect a differentiating neuron’s response to inflammatory cytokines, which is consistent with models of SZ and ASD that support a role for infectious disease, and/or autoimmunity in a subgroup of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Mingyan Lin
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Anastasia Hrabovsky
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Erika Pedrosa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Jason Dean
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Swati Jain
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Deyou Zheng
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
- Dominick Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail: (DZ); (HML)
| | - Herbert M. Lachman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
- Dominick Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail: (DZ); (HML)
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123
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Ma L, Piirainen S, Kulesskaya N, Rauvala H, Tian L. Association of brain immune genes with social behavior of inbred mouse strains. J Neuroinflammation 2015; 12:75. [PMID: 25895500 PMCID: PMC4404243 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-015-0297-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2015] [Accepted: 04/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Social deficit is one of the core symptoms of neuropsychiatric diseases, in which immune genes play an important role. Although a few immune genes have been shown to regulate social and emotional behaviors, how immune gene network(s) may jointly regulate sociability has not been investigated so far. Methods To decipher the potential immune-mediated mechanisms underlying social behavior, we first studied the brain microarray data of eight inbred mouse strains with known variations in social behavior and retrieved the differentially expressed immune genes. We then made a protein-protein interaction analysis of them to find the major networks and explored the potential association of these genes with the behavior and brain morphology in the mouse phenome database. To validate the expression and function of the candidate immune genes, we selected the C57BL/6 J and DBA/2 J strains among the eight inbred strains, compared their social behaviors in resident-intruder and 3-chambered social tests and the mRNA levels of these genes, and analyzed the correlations of these genes with the social behaviors. Results A group of immune genes were differentially expressed in the brains of these mouse strains. The representative C57BL/6 J and DBA/2 J strains displayed significant differences in social behaviors, DBA/2 J mice being less active in social dominance and social interaction than C57BL/6 J mice. The mRNA levels of H2-d1 in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and hypothalamus and C1qb in the hippocampus of the DBA/2 J strain were significantly down-regulated as compared to those in the C57BL/6 J strain. In contrast, Polr3b in the hippocampus and Tnfsf13b in the prefrontal cortex of the DBA/2 J strain were up-regulated. Furthermore, C1qb, Cx3cl1, H2-d1, H2-k1, Polr3b, and Tnfsf13b were predicted to be associated with various behavioral and brain morphological features across the eight inbred strains. Importantly, the C1qb mRNA level was confirmed to be significantly correlated with the sociability in DBA/2 J but not in C57BL/6 J mice. Conclusions Our study provided evidence on the association of immune gene network(s) with the brain development and behavior in animals and revealed neurobiological functions of novel brain immune genes that may contribute to social deficiency in animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Ma
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 4, FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Sami Piirainen
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 4, FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Natalia Kulesskaya
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 4, FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Heikki Rauvala
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 4, FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Li Tian
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 4, FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland. .,Psychiatry Research Center, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Zhengfu Road, 100096, Beijing, Changping, China.
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Prenatal administration of lipopolysaccharide induces sex-dependent changes in glutamic acid decarboxylase and parvalbumin in the adult rat brain. Neuroscience 2015; 287:78-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2014] [Revised: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 12/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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125
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Severance EG, Gressitt KL, Alaedini A, Rohleder C, Enning F, Bumb JM, Müller JK, Schwarz E, Yolken RH, Leweke FM. IgG dynamics of dietary antigens point to cerebrospinal fluid barrier or flow dysfunction in first-episode schizophrenia. Brain Behav Immun 2015; 44:148-58. [PMID: 25241021 PMCID: PMC4275312 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2014.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2014] [Revised: 08/29/2014] [Accepted: 09/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a complex brain disorder that may be accompanied by idiopathic inflammation. Classic central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory disorders such as viral encephalitis or multiple sclerosis can be characterized by incongruent serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) IgG due in part to localized intrathecal synthesis of antibodies. The dietary antigens, wheat gluten and bovine milk casein, can induce a humoral immune response in susceptible individuals with schizophrenia, but the correlation between the food-derived serological and intrathecal IgG response is not known. Here, we measured IgG to wheat gluten and bovine milk casein in matched serum and CSF samples from 105 individuals with first-episode schizophrenia (n=75 antipsychotic-naïve), and 61 controls. We found striking correlations in the levels of IgG response to dietary proteins between serum and CSF of schizophrenia patients, but not controls (schizophrenia, R(2)=0.34-0.55, p⩽0.0001; controls R(2)=0.05-0.06, p>0.33). A gauge of blood-CSF barrier permeability and CSF flow rate, the CSF-to-serum albumin ratio, was significantly elevated in cases compared to controls (p⩽0.001-0.003). Indicators of intrathecal IgG production, the CSF IgG index and the specific Antibody Index, were not significantly altered in schizophrenia compared to controls. Thus, the selective diffusion of bovine milk casein and wheat gluten antibodies between serum and CSF in schizophrenia may be the function of a low-level anatomical barrier dysfunction or altered CSF flow rate, which may be transient in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily G. Severance
- Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Blalock 1105, Baltimore, MD 21287-4933 U.S.A,Correspondence: Emily G. Severance, , tel: +1 410-614-3918, fax: +1 410-955-3723
| | - Kristin L. Gressitt
- Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Blalock 1105, Baltimore, MD 21287-4933 U.S.A
| | - Armin Alaedini
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, 1130 Saint Nicholas Ave., ICRC 901B, New York, NY, 10032 U.S.A
| | - Cathrin Rohleder
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Frank Enning
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany,Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - J. Malte Bumb
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Juliane K. Müller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Emanuel Schwarz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Robert H. Yolken
- Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Blalock 1105, Baltimore, MD 21287-4933 U.S.A
| | - F. Markus Leweke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
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126
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Garbett KA, Vereczkei A, Kálmán S, Brown JA, Taylor WD, Faludi G, Korade Ž, Shelton RC, Mirnics K. Coordinated messenger RNA/microRNA changes in fibroblasts of patients with major depression. Biol Psychiatry 2015; 77:256-265. [PMID: 25016317 PMCID: PMC4254393 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2013] [Revised: 04/30/2014] [Accepted: 05/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Peripheral biomarkers for major psychiatric disorders have been an elusive target for the last half a century. Dermal fibroblasts are a simple, relevant, and much underutilized model for studying molecular processes of patients with affective disorders, as they share considerable similarity of signal transduction with neuronal tissue. METHODS Cultured dermal fibroblast samples from patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and matched control subjects (n = 16 pairs, 32 samples) were assayed for genome-wide messenger RNA (mRNA) expression using microarrays. In addition, a simultaneous quantitative polymerase chain reaction-based assessment of >1000 microRNA (miRNA) species was performed. Finally, to test the relationship between the mRNA-miRNA expression changes, the two datasets were correlated with each other. RESULTS Our data revealed that MDD fibroblasts, when compared with matched control subjects, showed a strong mRNA gene expression pattern change in multiple molecular pathways, including cell-to-cell communication, innate/adaptive immunity, and cell proliferation. Furthermore, the same patient fibroblasts showed altered expression of a distinct panel of 38 miRNAs, which putatively targeted many of the differentially expressed mRNAs. The miRNA-mRNA expression changes appeared to be functionally connected, as the majority of the miRNA and mRNA changes were in the opposite direction. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that combined miRNA-mRNA assessments are informative about the disease process and that analyses of dermal fibroblasts might lead to the discovery of promising peripheral biomarkers of MDD that could be potentially used to aid the diagnosis and allow mechanistic testing of disturbed molecular pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrea Vereczkei
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Institute for Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest
| | - Sára Kálmán
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Psychiatry, University of Szeged, Szeged
| | - Jacquelyn A Brown
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Warren D Taylor
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Gábor Faludi
- Department of Psychiatry, Kútvölgyi Clinical Centre, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Željka Korade
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development (ZK, KM), Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Richard C Shelton
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Károly Mirnics
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Psychiatry, University of Szeged, Szeged; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development (ZK, KM), Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee..
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127
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Schmidt MJ, Mirnics K. Neurodevelopment, GABA system dysfunction, and schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:190-206. [PMID: 24759129 PMCID: PMC4262918 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.95] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2014] [Revised: 04/03/2014] [Accepted: 04/11/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The origins of schizophrenia have eluded clinicians and researchers since Kraepelin and Bleuler began documenting their findings. However, large clinical research efforts in recent decades have identified numerous genetic and environmental risk factors for schizophrenia. The combined data strongly support the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia and underscore the importance of the common converging effects of diverse insults. In this review, we discuss the evidence that genetic and environmental risk factors that predispose to schizophrenia disrupt the development and normal functioning of the GABAergic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin J Schmidt
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Karoly Mirnics
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
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128
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Mattei D, Schweibold R, Wolf SA. Brain in flames - animal models of psychosis: utility and limitations. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2015; 11:1313-29. [PMID: 26064050 PMCID: PMC4455860 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s65564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia posits that schizophrenia is a psychopathological condition resulting from aberrations in neurodevelopmental processes caused by a combination of environmental and genetic factors which proceed long before the onset of clinical symptoms. Many studies discuss an immunological component in the onset and progression of schizophrenia. We here review studies utilizing animal models of schizophrenia with manipulations of genetic, pharmacologic, and immunological origin. We focus on the immunological component to bridge the studies in terms of evaluation and treatment options of negative, positive, and cognitive symptoms. Throughout the review we link certain aspects of each model to the situation in human schizophrenic patients. In conclusion we suggest a combination of existing models to better represent the human situation. Moreover, we emphasize that animal models represent defined single or multiple symptoms or hallmarks of a given disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Mattei
- Department of Cellular Neuroscience, Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Regina Schweibold
- Department of Cellular Neuroscience, Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany ; Department of Neurosurgery, Helios Clinics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Susanne A Wolf
- Department of Cellular Neuroscience, Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
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129
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Horváth S, Mirnics K. Schizophrenia as a disorder of molecular pathways. Biol Psychiatry 2015; 77:22-8. [PMID: 24507510 PMCID: PMC4092052 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2013] [Revised: 01/02/2014] [Accepted: 01/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Over the last decade, transcriptome studies of postmortem tissue from subjects with schizophrenia revealed that synaptic, mitochondrial, immune system, gamma-aminobutyric acidergic, and oligodendrocytic changes are all integral parts of the disease process. The combined genetic and transcriptomic studies argue that the molecular underpinnings of the disease are even more varied than the symptomatic diversity of schizophrenia. Ultimately, to decipher the pathophysiology of human disorders in general, we will need to understand the function of hundreds of genes and regulatory elements in our genome and the consequences of their overexpression and reduced expression in a developmental context. Furthermore, integration of knowledge from various data sources remains a monumental challenge that has to be systematically addressed in the upcoming decades. In the end, our success in interpreting the molecular changes in schizophrenia will depend on our ability to understand the biology using innovative ideas and cannot depend on the hope of developing novel, more powerful technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szatmár Horváth
- Department of Psychiatry; Department of Psychiatry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Károly Mirnics
- Department of Psychiatry; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Psychiatry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
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130
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Cytokine Serum Levels as Potential Biological Markers for the Psychopathology in Schizophrenia. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1155/2014/493505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
We discuss the role of immune system disturbance in schizophrenia and especially changes of serum levels of cytokines in patients with schizophrenia. The cytokines are essential to wide range of functions related to the defense of the organisms from infectious and environmental dangers. However it is not known whether cytokines influence the presentation of psychotic symptoms. Identification of changes in the serum level of certain cytokines and their correlation with distinct psychopathological symptoms may facilitate the identification of subgroups of patients who are likely to benefit from immunotherapy or anti-inflammatory therapy. Such patients may benefit from tailored immunotherapy designed for modulation of abnormal cytokine levels related to specific positive or negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
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131
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Brown JA, Sherrod SD, Goodwin CR, Brewer B, Yang L, Garbett KA, Li D, McLean JA, Wikswo JP, Mirnics K. Metabolic consequences of interleukin-6 challenge in developing neurons and astroglia. J Neuroinflammation 2014; 11:183. [PMID: 25374324 PMCID: PMC4233071 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-014-0183-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2014] [Accepted: 10/11/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Maternal immune activation and subsequent interleukin-6 (IL-6) induction disrupt normal brain development and predispose the offspring to developing autism and schizophrenia. While several proteins have been identified as having some link to these developmental disorders, their prevalence is still small and their causative role, if any, is not well understood. However, understanding the metabolic consequences of environmental predisposing factors could shed light on disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. Methods To gain a better understanding of the metabolic consequences of IL-6 exposure on developing central nervous system (CNS) cells, we separately exposed developing neuron and astroglia cultures to IL-6 for 2 hours while collecting effluent from our gravity-fed microfluidic chambers. By coupling microfluidic technologies to ultra-performance liquid chromatography-ion mobility-mass spectrometry (UPLC-IM-MS), we were able to characterize the metabolic response of these CNS cells to a narrow window of IL-6 exposure. Results Our results revealed that 1) the use of this technology, due to its superb media volume:cell volume ratio, is ideally suited for analysis of cell-type-specific exometabolome signatures; 2) developing neurons have low secretory activity at baseline, while astroglia show strong metabolic activity; 3) both neurons and astroglia respond to IL-6 exposure in a cell type-specific fashion; 4) the astroglial response to IL-6 stimulation is predominantly characterized by increased levels of metabolites, while neurons mostly depress their metabolic activity; and 5) disturbances in glycerophospholipid metabolism and tryptophan/kynurenine metabolite secretion are two putative mechanisms by which IL-6 affects the developing nervous system. Conclusions Our findings are potentially critical for understanding the mechanism by which IL-6 disrupts brain function, and they provide information about the molecular cascade that links maternal immune activation to developmental brain disorders. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12974-014-0183-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacquelyn A Brown
- Department of Psychiatry, 465 21st Avenue South, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA. .,Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education, 6809 Stevenson Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA.
| | - Stacy D Sherrod
- Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education, 6809 Stevenson Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA. .,Department of Physics and Astronomy, 6301 Stevenson Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA.
| | - Cody R Goodwin
- Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education, 6809 Stevenson Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA. .,Department of Chemistry, 5421 Stevenson Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA.
| | - Bryson Brewer
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, 333 Olin Hall, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA.
| | - Lijie Yang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, 333 Olin Hall, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA.
| | - Krassimira A Garbett
- Department of Psychiatry, 465 21st Avenue South, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
| | - Deyu Li
- Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education, 6809 Stevenson Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA. .,Department of Mechanical Engineering, 333 Olin Hall, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA.
| | - John A McLean
- Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education, 6809 Stevenson Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA. .,Department of Chemistry, 5421 Stevenson Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA.
| | - John P Wikswo
- Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education, 6809 Stevenson Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA. .,Department of Physics and Astronomy, 6301 Stevenson Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA. .,Department of Biomedical Engineering, 5824 Stevenson Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, 37235, TN, USA. .,Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, 702 Light Hall, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
| | - Károly Mirnics
- Department of Psychiatry, 465 21st Avenue South, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA. .,Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education, 6809 Stevenson Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA. .,Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, 110 Magnolia Circle, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, University of Szeged, 6725, Szeged, Hungary.
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132
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Stringer S, Kahn RS, de Witte LD, Ophoff RA, Derks EM. Genetic liability for schizophrenia predicts risk of immune disorders. Schizophr Res 2014; 159:347-52. [PMID: 25266548 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2014.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2014] [Revised: 09/02/2014] [Accepted: 09/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia patients and their parents have an increased risk of immune disorders compared to population controls and their parents. This may be explained by genetic overlap in the pathogenesis of both types of disorders. The purpose of this study was to investigate the genetic overlap between schizophrenia and three immune disorders and to compare with the overlap between schizophrenia and two disorders not primarily characterized by immune dysregulation: bipolar disorder and type 2 diabetes. METHODS We performed a polygenic risk score analysis using results from the schizophrenia Psychiatric GWAS consortium (PGC) (8922 cases and 9528 controls) and five Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC) case samples as target cases: bipolar disorder (n=1998), type 1 diabetes (n=2000), Crohn's diseases (n=2005), rheumatoid arthritis (n=1999), and type 2 diabetes (n=1999). The WTCCC British Birth Cohort and National Blood Service samples (n=3004) were used as target controls. Additionally, we tested whether schizophrenia polygenic risk scores significantly differed between patients with immune disorder, bipolar disorder, and type 2 diabetes respectively. RESULTS Polygenic risk scores for schizophrenia significantly predicted disease status in all three immune disorder samples (Nagelkerke-R(2) 1.1%-1.3%; p<0.05). The polygenic risk of schizophrenia in patients with immune disorders was significantly lower than in patients with bipolar disorder (Nagelkerke-R(2) 6.0%; p<0.05), but higher than in type 2 diabetes patients (Nagelkerke-R(2) 0.5%; p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that genetic factors are shared between schizophrenia and immune disorders. This contributes to an accumulating body of evidence that immune processes may play a role in the etiology of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven Stringer
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - René S Kahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Lot D de Witte
- Department of Psychiatry, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Roel A Ophoff
- Department of Psychiatry, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands; University California Los Angeles, Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Eske M Derks
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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133
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Abstract
The etiopathogenesis of schizophrenia is poorly understood. Within the proposed "neurodegeneration paradigm", observations have been put forth for "accelerated aging" in this disorder. This proposition is largely based on the neuroscience research that demonstrates progressive changes in brain as well as other systemic abnormalities supportive of faster aging process in patients with this disorder. In this review, we have summarized the literature related to the concept of early aging in schizophrenia. These studies include P300 abnormalities & visual motion discrimination, neuroimaging findings, telomere dynamics as well as neuropathology of related brain regions. We also propose a role of vitamin D, neuroimmunological changes and elevated oxidative stress as well as mitochondrial dysfunction in addition to the above factors with 'vitamin-D deficiency' as the central paradox. Put together, the evidence supporting early aging in schizophrenia is compelling and this requires further systematic studies.
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134
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Yamada S, Nagai T, Nakai T, Ibi D, Nakajima A, Yamada K. Matrix metalloproteinase-3 is a possible mediator of neurodevelopmental impairment due to polyI:C-induced innate immune activation of astrocytes. Brain Behav Immun 2014; 38:272-82. [PMID: 24594387 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2014.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2013] [Revised: 02/13/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing epidemiological evidence indicates that prenatal infection and childhood central nervous system infection with various viral pathogens enhance the risk for several neuropsychiatric disorders. Polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidilic acid (polyI:C) is known to induce strong innate immune responses that mimic immune activation by viral infections. Our previous findings suggested that activation of the innate immune system in astrocytes results in impairments of neurite outgrowth and spine formation, which lead to behavioral abnormalities in adulthood. To identify candidates of astrocyte-derived humoral factors that affect neuronal development, we analyzed astrocyte-conditioned medium (ACM) from murine astrocyte cultures treated with polyI:C (polyI:C-ACM) by two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE). Through a quantitative proteomic screen, we found that 13 protein spots were differentially expressed compared with ACM from vehicle-treated astrocytes (control-ACM), and characterized one of the candidates, matrix metalloproteinase-3 (Mmp3). PolyI:C treatment significantly increased the expression levels of Mmp3 mRNA and protein in astrocytes, but not microglia. PolyI:C-ACM was associated with significantly higher Mmp3 protein level and enzyme activity than control-ACM. The addition of recombinant Mmp3 into control-ACM impaired dendritic elongation of primary cultured hippocampal neurons, while the deleterious effect of polyI:C-ACM on neurite elongation was attenuated by knockdown of Mmp3 in astrocytes. These results suggest that Mmp3 is a possible mediator of polyI:C-ACM-induced neurodevelopmental impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinnosuke Yamada
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan
| | - Taku Nagai
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Nakai
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan
| | - Daisuke Ibi
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan
| | - Akira Nakajima
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan
| | - Kiyofumi Yamada
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan.
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135
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Carter CS, Bullmore ET, Harrison P. Is there a flame in the brain in psychosis? Biol Psychiatry 2014; 75:258-9. [PMID: 24439553 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2013.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2013] [Accepted: 10/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cameron S Carter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California at Davis, Sacramento, California.
| | - Edward T Bullmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge; GlaxoSmithKline, London
| | - Paul Harrison
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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136
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Gene expression profiling by mRNA sequencing reveals increased expression of immune/inflammation-related genes in the hippocampus of individuals with schizophrenia. Transl Psychiatry 2013; 3:e321. [PMID: 24169640 PMCID: PMC3818014 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2013.94] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2013] [Revised: 09/20/2013] [Accepted: 09/24/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Whole-genome expression profiling in postmortem brain tissue has recently provided insight into the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Previous microarray and RNA-Seq studies identified several biological processes including synaptic function, mitochondrial function and immune/inflammation response as altered in the cortex of subjects with schizophrenia. Now using RNA-Seq data from the hippocampus, we have identified 144 differentially expressed genes in schizophrenia cases as compared with unaffected controls. Immune/inflammation response was the main biological process over-represented in these genes. The upregulation of several of these genes, IFITM1, IFITM2, IFITM3, APOL1 (Apolipoprotein L1), ADORA2A (adenosine receptor 2A), IGFBP4 and CD163 were validated in the schizophrenia subjects using data from the SNCID database and with quantitative RT-PCR. We identified a co-expression module associated with schizophrenia that includes the majority of differentially expressed genes related to immune/inflammation response as well as with the density of parvalbumin-containing neurons in the hippocampus. The results indicate that abnormal immune/inflammation response in the hippocampus may underlie the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and may be associated with abnormalities in the parvalbumin-containing neurons that lead to the cognitive deficits of the disease.
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