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Mirza S, Lima CNC, Del Favero-Campbell A, Rubinstein A, Topolski N, Cabrera-Mendoza B, Kovács EHC, Blumberg HP, Richards JG, Williams AJ, Wemmie JA, Magnotta VA, Fiedorowicz JG, Gaine ME, Walss-Bass C, Quevedo J, Soares JC, Fries GR. Blood epigenome-wide association studies of suicide attempt in adults with bipolar disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:70. [PMID: 38296944 PMCID: PMC10831084 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02760-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Suicide attempt (SA) risk is elevated in individuals with bipolar disorder (BD), and DNA methylation patterns may serve as possible biomarkers of SA. We conducted epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of blood DNA methylation associated with BD and SA. DNA methylation was measured at >700,000 positions in a discovery cohort of n = 84 adults with BD with a history of SA (BD/SA), n = 79 adults with BD without history of SA (BD/non-SA), and n = 76 non-psychiatric controls (CON). EWAS revealed six differentially methylated positions (DMPs) and seven differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between BD/SA and BD/non-SA, with multiple immune-related genes implicated. There were no epigenome-wide significant differences when BD/SA and BD/non-SA were each compared to CON, and patterns suggested that epigenetics differentiating BD/SA from BD/non-SA do not differentiate BD/non-SA from CON. Weighted gene co-methylation network analysis and trait enrichment analysis of the BD/SA vs. BD/non-SA contrast further corroborated immune system involvement, while gene ontology analysis implicated calcium signalling. In an independent replication cohort of n = 48 BD/SA and n = 47 BD/non-SA, fold changes at the discovery cohort's significant sites showed moderate correlation across cohorts and agreement on direction. In both cohorts, classification accuracy for SA history among individuals with BD was highest when methylation at the significant CpG sites as well as information from clinical interviews were combined, with an AUC of 88.8% (CI = 83.8-93.8%) and 82.1% (CI = 73.6-90.5%) for the combined epigenetic-clinical classifier in the discovery and replication cohorts, respectively. Our results provide novel insight to the role of immune system functioning in SA and BD and also suggest that integrating information from multiple levels of analysis holds promise to improve risk assessment for SA in adults with BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salahudeen Mirza
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), 77054, Houston, TX, USA
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, 55455, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 06510, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Camila N C Lima
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), 77054, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Alexandra Del Favero-Campbell
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), 77054, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Alexandre Rubinstein
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), 77054, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Natasha Topolski
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), 77054, Houston, TX, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 77054, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Emese H C Kovács
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, The University of Iowa, 51 Newton Rd, 52242, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Hilary P Blumberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 06510, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jenny Gringer Richards
- Department of Radiology, The University of Iowa, 200 Hawkins Dr, 52242, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Aislinn J Williams
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Iowa, 200 Hawkins Dr, 52242, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa, 169 Newton Rd, 52242, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - John A Wemmie
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Iowa, 200 Hawkins Dr, 52242, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa, 169 Newton Rd, 52242, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Vincent A Magnotta
- Department of Radiology, The University of Iowa, 200 Hawkins Dr, 52242, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Iowa, 200 Hawkins Dr, 52242, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Jess G Fiedorowicz
- University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth, K1H 8L6, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Marie E Gaine
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa, 169 Newton Rd, 52242, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Iowa, 180 South Grand Ave, 52242, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Consuelo Walss-Bass
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), 77054, Houston, TX, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 77054, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Joao Quevedo
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), 77054, Houston, TX, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 77054, Houston, TX, USA
- Center of Excellence in Mood Disorders, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1941 East Rd, 77054, Houston, TX, USA
- Center for Interventional Psychiatry, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, 1941 East Rd, 77054, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jair C Soares
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), 77054, Houston, TX, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 77054, Houston, TX, USA
- Center of Excellence in Mood Disorders, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1941 East Rd, 77054, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Gabriel R Fries
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), 77054, Houston, TX, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 77054, Houston, TX, USA.
- Center of Excellence in Mood Disorders, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1941 East Rd, 77054, Houston, TX, USA.
- Center for Interventional Psychiatry, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, 1941 East Rd, 77054, Houston, TX, USA.
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Navarro D, Marín-Mayor M, Gasparyan A, García-Gutiérrez MS, Rubio G, Manzanares J. Molecular Changes Associated with Suicide. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16726. [PMID: 38069051 PMCID: PMC10706600 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Suicide is a serious global public health problem, with a worrying recent increase in suicide rates in both adolescent and adult populations. However, it is essential to recognize that suicide is preventable. A myriad of factors contributes to an individual's vulnerability to suicide. These factors include various potential causes, from psychiatric disorders to genetic and epigenetic alterations. These changes can induce dysfunctions in crucial systems such as the serotonergic, cannabinoid, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axes. In addition, early life experiences of abuse can profoundly impact an individual's ability to cope with stress, ultimately leading to changes in the inflammatory system, which is a significant risk factor for suicidal behavior. Thus, it is clear that suicidal behavior may result from a confluence of multiple factors. This review examines the primary risk factors associated with suicidal behavior, including psychiatric disorders, early life adversities, and epigenetic modifications. Our goal is to elucidate the molecular changes at the genetic, epigenetic, and molecular levels in the brains of individuals who have taken their own lives and in the plasma and peripheral mononuclear cells of suicide attempters and how these changes may serve as predisposing factors for suicidal tendencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Navarro
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (D.N.); (A.G.); (M.S.G.-G.)
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain;
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Marta Marín-Mayor
- Instituto de Investigación i+12, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain;
- Department of Psychiatry, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ani Gasparyan
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (D.N.); (A.G.); (M.S.G.-G.)
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain;
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - María Salud García-Gutiérrez
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (D.N.); (A.G.); (M.S.G.-G.)
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain;
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Gabriel Rubio
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain;
- Instituto de Investigación i+12, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain;
- Department of Psychiatry, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Manzanares
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (D.N.); (A.G.); (M.S.G.-G.)
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain;
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
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Mirza S, de Carvalho Lima CN, Del Favero-Campbell A, Rubinstein A, Topolski N, Cabrera-Mendoza B, Kovács EH, Blumberg HP, Richards JG, Williams AJ, Wemmie JA, Magnotta VA, Fiedorowicz JG, Gaine ME, Walss-Bass C, Quevedo J, Soares JC, Fries GR. Blood epigenome-wide association studies of suicide attempt in adults with bipolar disorder. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.07.20.23292968. [PMID: 37546994 PMCID: PMC10402220 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.20.23292968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Suicide attempt (SA) risk is elevated in individuals with bipolar disorder (BD), and DNA methylation patterns may serve as possible biomarkers of SA. We conducted epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of blood DNA methylation associated with BD and SA. DNA methylation was measured at > 700,000 positions in a discovery cohort of n = 84 adults with BD with a history of SA (BD/SA), n = 79 adults with BD without history of SA (BD/non-SA), and n = 76 non-psychiatric controls (CON). EWAS revealed six differentially methylated positions (DMPs) and seven differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between BD/SA and BD/non-SA, with multiple immune-related genes implicated. There were no epigenome-wide significant differences when BD/SA and BD/non-SA were each compared to CON, and patterns suggested that epigenetics differentiating BD/SA from BD/non-SA do not differentiate BD/non-SA from CON. Weighted gene co-methylation network analysis and trait enrichment analysis of the BD/SA vs. BD/non-SA contrast further corroborated immune system involvement, while gene ontology analysis implicated calcium signalling. In an independent replication cohort of n = 48 BD/SA and n = 47 BD/non-SA, fold-changes at the discovery cohort's significant sites showed moderate correlation across cohorts and agreement on direction. In both cohorts, classification accuracy for SA history among individuals with BD was highest when methylation at the significant CpG sites as well as information from clinical interviews were combined, with an AUC of 88.8% (CI = 83.8-93.8%) and 82.1% (CI = 73.6-90.5%) for the combined epigenetic-clinical predictor in the discovery and replication cohorts, respectively. Our results provide novel insight to the role of immune system functioning in SA and BD and also suggest that integrating information from multiple levels of analysis holds promise to improve risk assessment for SA in adults with BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salahudeen Mirza
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), 77054 Houston, Texas, USA
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, 55455 Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Camila N. de Carvalho Lima
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), 77054 Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Alexandra Del Favero-Campbell
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), 77054 Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Alexandre Rubinstein
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), 77054 Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Natasha Topolski
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), 77054 Houston, Texas, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 77054 Houston, Texas, USA
| | | | - Emese H.C. Kovács
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, The University of Iowa, 51 Newton Rd, 52242 Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Hilary P. Blumberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 06510 New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jenny Gringer Richards
- Department of Radiology, The University of Iowa. 200 Hawkins Dr, 52242 Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Aislinn J. Williams
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Iowa. 200 Hawkins Dr, 52242 Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa. 169 Newton Rd, 52242 Iowa City, Iowa USA
| | - John A. Wemmie
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Iowa. 200 Hawkins Dr, 52242 Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa. 169 Newton Rd, 52242 Iowa City, Iowa USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Vincent A. Magnotta
- Department of Radiology, The University of Iowa. 200 Hawkins Dr, 52242 Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Iowa. 200 Hawkins Dr, 52242 Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Jess G. Fiedorowicz
- University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. 501 Smyth, K1H 8L6, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marie E. Gaine
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa. 169 Newton Rd, 52242 Iowa City, Iowa USA
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Iowa, 180 South Grand Ave, 52242, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Consuelo Walss-Bass
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), 77054 Houston, Texas, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 77054 Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Joao Quevedo
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), 77054 Houston, Texas, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 77054 Houston, Texas, USA
- Center of Excellence in Mood Disorders, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1941 East Rd, 77054, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jair C. Soares
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), 77054 Houston, Texas, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 77054 Houston, Texas, USA
- Center of Excellence in Mood Disorders, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1941 East Rd, 77054, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Gabriel R. Fries
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), 77054 Houston, Texas, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 77054 Houston, Texas, USA
- Center of Excellence in Mood Disorders, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1941 East Rd, 77054, Houston, Texas, USA
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Kho SH, Yee JY, Puang SJ, Han L, Chiang C, Rapisarda A, Goh WWB, Lee J, Sng JCG. DNA methylation levels of RELN promoter region in ultra-high risk, first episode and chronic schizophrenia cohorts of schizophrenia. SCHIZOPHRENIA (HEIDELBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 8:81. [PMID: 36216926 PMCID: PMC9550813 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-022-00278-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The essential role of the Reelin gene (RELN) during brain development makes it a prominent candidate in human epigenetic studies of Schizophrenia. Previous literature has reported differing levels of DNA methylation (DNAm) in patients with psychosis. Therefore, this study aimed to (1) examine and compare RELN DNAm levels in subjects at different stages of psychosis cross-sectionally, (2) analyse the effect of antipsychotics (AP) on DNAm, and (3) evaluate the effectiveness and applicability of RELN promoter DNAm as a possible biological-based marker for symptom severity in psychosis.. The study cohort consisted of 56 healthy controls, 87 ultra-high risk (UHR) individuals, 26 first-episode (FE) psychosis individuals and 30 chronic schizophrenia (CS) individuals. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to assess Schizophrenia severity. After pyrosequencing selected CpG sites of peripheral blood, the Average mean DNAm levels were compared amongst the 4 subgroups. Our results showed differing levels of DNAm, with UHR having the lowest (7.72 ± 0.19) while the CS had the highest levels (HC: 8.78 ± 0.35; FE: 7.75 ± 0.37; CS: 8.82 ± 0.48). Significantly higher Average mean DNAm levels were found in CS subjects on AP (9.12 ± 0.61) compared to UHR without medication (UHR(-)) (7.39 ± 0.18). A significant association was also observed between the Average mean DNAm of FE and PANSS Negative symptom factor (R2 = 0.237, ß = -0.401, *p = 0.033). In conclusion, our findings suggested different levels of DNAm for subjects at different stages of psychosis. Those subjects that took AP have different DNAm levels. There were significant associations between FE DNAm and Negative PANSS scores. With more future experiments and on larger cohorts, there may be potential use of DNAm of the RELN gene as one of the genes for the biological-based marker for symptom severity in psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sok-Hong Kho
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Jie Yin Yee
- Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shu Juan Puang
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Luke Han
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Christine Chiang
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Attilio Rapisarda
- Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore
- Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wilson Wen Bin Goh
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jimmy Lee
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Psychosis, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Judy Chia Ghee Sng
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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Mirza S, Docherty AR, Bakian A, Coon H, Soares JC, Walss-Bass C, Fries GR. Genetics and epigenetics of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors: Systematic review of the suicide literature and methodological considerations. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2022; 189:221-246. [PMID: 35975759 PMCID: PMC9900606 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Suicide is a multifaceted and poorly understood clinical outcome, and there is an urgent need to advance research on its phenomenology and etiology. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that suicidal behavior is heritable, suggesting that genetic and epigenetic information may serve as biomarkers for suicide risk. Here we systematically review the literature on genetic and epigenetic alterations observed in phenotypes across the full range of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITB). We included 577 studies focused on genome-wide and epigenome-wide associations, candidate genes (SNP and methylation), noncoding RNAs, and histones. Convergence of specific genes is limited across units of analysis, although pathway-based analyses do indicate nervous system development and function and immunity/inflammation as potential underlying mechanisms of SITB. We provide suggestions for future work on the genetic and epigenetic correlates of SITB with a specific focus on measurement issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salahudeen Mirza
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, USA,Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Anna R. Docherty
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA,Huntsman Mental Health Institute, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA,Department of Psychiatry, The Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Amanda Bakian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA,Huntsman Mental Health Institute, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Hilary Coon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA,Huntsman Mental Health Institute, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Jair C. Soares
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, USA,Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Consuelo Walss-Bass
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, USA,Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Gabriel R. Fries
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, USA,Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas, USA,Center for Precision Health, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, USA
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6
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Adanty C, Kim J, Strauss J, Qian J, Remington G, Borlido C, Graff A, Gerretsen P, De Luca V. Epigenetics for Drug Discovery: Dissecting the Effect of High Antipsychotic Dosage and D2 Blockage on Peripheral DNA Methylation. PHARMACOPSYCHIATRY 2022; 55:211-219. [PMID: 35483870 DOI: 10.1055/a-1778-5125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The relationship between genetic polymorphisms of antipsychotic drug-metabolizing agents and drug receptors has been often investigated. DNA methylation is a form of epigenetic modification that regulates gene expression. Few studies have analyzed the relationship between genome-wide methylation patterns and antipsychotic dosage. The primary aim of this pilot study was to investigate the association between antipsychotic dosage and genome-wide DNA methylation in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ). METHODS Current dosage of antipsychotic medications was assessed in 136 patients with SCZ. Dosage was standardized using three different methods: chlorpromazine equivalent dose (CPZe), defined daily dose (DDD), and percentage of Lexicomp maximum dose (PM%). DNA methylation was measured in white blood cells. Antipsychotic dosage was the primary outcome variable in a model, including genome-wide methylation status as the main predictor. RESULTS This study did not show any association between DNA methylation and dosage variation for CPZe, PM%, and DDD. However, the probe cg271403389 was consistently associated with antipsychotic dosage across the three standardization methods. When looking at the genomic location of the most significant probes, we found that 15% were intergenic, 23% were in the distal promoter, 9% in the 3'untranslated region, 32% in the gene body, 3% in the 5' untranslated region, 15% in the proximal promoter, and 3% in the first exon. DISCUSSION This study shows the importance of investigating the relationship between DNA methylation and optimal antipsychotic dosage to personalize treatment in SCZ. Future studies require larger prescription databases to build on the results of this analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julia Kim
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
| | - John Strauss
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Jessica Qian
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
| | - Gary Remington
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Carol Borlido
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
| | - Ariel Graff
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Philip Gerretsen
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Vincenzo De Luca
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.,St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada
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Wang KZ, Chaudhary Z, Qian J, Adanty C, Graff-Guerrero A, Gerretsen P, Zai CC, De Luca V. Differential Methylation Analysis of Suicidal Ideation Severity in Schizophrenia with the Illumina MethylationEPIC Array. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 10:809. [PMID: 35627945 PMCID: PMC9141768 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10050809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a multitude of factors that makes difficult to identify those at risk for suicide, especially among schizophrenia patients. Suicide cannot be explained by genetics alone, therefore epigenetic mechanisms including DNA methylation are thought to play a role. DNA methylation could be a valuable tool in helping predict those at-risk individuals. This cross-sectional study comprised 112 subjects diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and were grouped according to the current suicidal ideation severity. DNA methylation across the genome was measured with the Infinium® MethylationEPIC BeadChip. We utilized the dmpFinder and bumphunter functions within the Bioconductor minfi package to identify differentially methylated positions (DMPs) and differentially methylated regions (DMRs), respectively. Following quality control, we removed one sample from the analysis and reported the most significant DMPs and DMRs associated with suicidal ideation severity. All positions and regions identified in this analysis were only found to have suggestive levels of significance at the genome-wide level. The present study was one of the first to investigate genome-wide methylation and suicidal ideation severity. While there were many strengths of our study, including investigating both differentially methylated positions and regions, further larger-scale studies are necessary to replicate, support, and validate our findings presented here.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Vincenzo De Luca
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada; (K.Z.W.); (Z.C.); (J.Q.); (C.A.); (A.G.-G.); (P.G.); (C.C.Z.)
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8
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Bani-Fatemi A, Raymond R, Adanty C, Dai N, Gerretsen P, Graff A, Nobrega JN, De Luca V. Global DNA methylation in suicidal ideation and suicide attempt in schizophrenia. Psychiatr Genet 2021; 31:65-71. [PMID: 33399315 DOI: 10.1097/ypg.0000000000000273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Suicidal behavior is influenced by many risk factors such as childhood trauma, stressful life events, genetic factors, and severe mental illnesses. Suicidal ideation is present in 50% of schizophrenia patients and is associated with an elevated risk of suicide attempt. Studies have shown that epigenetic mechanisms are associated with suicidal behavior in schizophrenia. Although several studies have suggested the importance of epigenetic factors in suicidal ideation and behavior, no studies have investigated global methylation in association with these two phenotypes. This study investigated global methylation level/change in association with current and emergent suicidal ideation and also with suicide attempt. Forty-seven schizophrenia patients were assessed for the association between global methylation and suicide attempt, and a subsample of these patients (n = 27) was assessed for current suicidal ideation. Afterwards, we performed a longitudinal analysis in which global methylation changes during a 3-month follow-up were compared between patients with and without emergent suicidal ideation. This methylation analysis did not find evidence for a significant association between global methylation and suicidal ideation or suicide attempt. To date, there are no robust biomarkers predicting suicidal ideation or behavior in psychotic patients. This study is the first to investigate global methylation in predicting suicidal ideation and behavior. Although we did not find evidence for an association between global methylation and these phenotypes, our findings may offer novel insights into the molecular mechanisms linked to suicide. Future investigation may measure global methylation in association with suicidal ideation or behavior in larger samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Bani-Fatemi
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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9
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Aytac HM, Ozdilli K, Tuncel FC, Pehlivan M, Pehlivan S. Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) −238 G/A Polymorphism Is Associated with the Treatment Resistance and Attempted Suicide in Schizophrenia. Immunol Invest 2020; 51:368-380. [DOI: 10.1080/08820139.2020.1832115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kursat Ozdilli
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Medipol University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Fatima Ceren Tuncel
- Department of Medical Biology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Mustafa Pehlivan
- Department of Hematology, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey
| | - Sacide Pehlivan
- Department of Medical Biology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
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10
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Genome-wide methylation association with current suicidal ideation in schizophrenia. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2020; 127:1315-1322. [PMID: 32661777 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-020-02225-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we investigate the epigenetic mechanisms associated with current suicidal ideation. Gene expression changes have been found in post-mortem brain of suicide victims. However, it is not clear how in-vivo gene expression change confers risk for suicide. DNA methylation is a form of epigenetic modification that regulates gene expression. Our primary aim is to investigate genome-wide methylation in conferring risk for current suicidal ideation (SI) in schizophrenia. The presence of current SI and genome-wide methylation patterns were assessed in 107 patients with schizophrenia. DNA methylation has been measured in white blood cells as a possible peripheral biomarker of SI. SI was the primary outcome variable in a model including methylation status of white blood cells using the Illumina 450 array. We have tested the association with genome-wide methylation levels in 19 subjects with current SI and 88 subjects without current SI and we found that higher methylation level in the CpG cg06121808 located in the gene SLC20A1 on chromosome 2 was associated with current SI (p = 0.000003; beta difference = 0.06). Furthermore, the distal promoter analysis showed that the gene SMPD2 was hypermethylated in suicide ideators (p = 0.0001; beta difference = 0.02). Thus, molecular biomarkers could advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of stress-related SI. Furthermore, the methylation sites that we have identified should be replicated in other suicide related phenotypes to generate robust biomarkers with high translational value for proof of concept interventions aiming at reducing SI.
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11
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MTHFR Ala222Val polymorphism and clinical characteristics confer susceptibility to suicide attempt in chronic patients with schizophrenia. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5008. [PMID: 32193498 PMCID: PMC7081211 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-57411-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) exhibit higher suicide rates than the general population. However, the molecular mechanism responsible for the high rate of suicidal behavior in SCZ remains poorly understood. MTHFR Ala222Val (C677T; rs 1801133) polymorphism has repeatedly demonstrated to play a pathological role in numerous mental disorders, but none of these studies focused on the susceptibility of suicidal behavior in SCZ. In the present cross-sectional study, we recruited 957 chronic inpatients with SCZ and 576 healthy controls to assess the psychopathological symptoms of SCZ and compare the frequency of the MTHFR Ala222Val genotype in both suicide attempters and non-attempters. Our results demonstrated no significant differences in MTHFR Ala222Val genotype and allele distributions between the SCZ patients and controls (p > 0.05), but showed a statistical significance in the distribution of Ala/Val genotype between suicide attempters and non-attempters (p < 0.05). Further logistic regression analysis showed that MTHFR Ala222Val genotype, psychopathological symptoms, number of cigarettes smoked per day and drinking status were related to suicide attempts in SCZ (p < 0.05). Our study demonstrated that MTHFR Ala222Val polymorphism and some clinical characteristics might confer susceptibility to suicide in patients with SCZ.
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12
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Cheung S, Woo J, Maes MS, Zai CC. Suicide epigenetics, a review of recent progress. J Affect Disord 2020; 265:423-438. [PMID: 32090769 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.01.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 11/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Suicide results in over 800,000 deaths every year, making it a major public health concern worldwide. It is highly complex, with genetic and environmental influences. Epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, miRNA, and histone modifications, could explain the complex interplay of environmental risk factors with genetic risk factors in the emergence of suicidal behavior. METHODS Here, we review the literature on suicide epigenetics over the past 10 years. RESULTS There has been significant progress in the field of suicide epigenetics, with emerging findings in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis genes. LIMITATIONS Studying patient subgroups is needed in order to extract more comparable and reproducible epigenetic findings in suicide. CONCLUSIONS It is crucial to consider suicidal patients or suicide victims' distal and proximal past history e.g., early-life adversity and psychiatric disorder in epigenetic studies of suicidality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serina Cheung
- Neurogenetics Section, Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Molecular Brain Science, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Canada
| | - Julia Woo
- Neurogenetics Section, Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Molecular Brain Science, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Canada; Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Miriam S Maes
- Neurogenetics Section, Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Molecular Brain Science, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Canada
| | - Clement C Zai
- Neurogenetics Section, Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Molecular Brain Science, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Canada; Division of Brain and Therapeutics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Canada; Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Canada; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
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13
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Abstract
Suicidal behaviors have been associated with both heritable genetic variables and environmental risk factors. Epigenetic processes, such as DNA methylation, have important roles in mediating the effects of the environment on behavior. Dysregulation of these processes has been observed in many psychiatric disorders, and evidence suggests that they may also be involved in suicidal behaviors. Herein, we have summarized candidate gene and epigenome-wide studies which have investigated DNA methylation in relation to suicidal behaviors, as well as discussed some of the limitations of the field to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Fiori
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Verdun, QC, Canada
| | - Gustavo Turecki
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Verdun, QC, Canada.
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14
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Kouter K, Zupanc T, Videtič Paska A. Genome-wide DNA methylation in suicide victims revealing impact on gene expression. J Affect Disord 2019; 253:419-425. [PMID: 31103807 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.04.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Suicidal behavior is a multifactorial, polygenic state that affects millions worldwide. It is a result of interplay between hereditary and environmental factors, tied together by epigenetics. Despite vast knowledge on suicidality complete mechanism and factors leading to suicide are unknown. However there is an indication between changes in DNA methylation patterns and suicidal behavior. METHODS To identify differential methylation we formed a homogenous group of male suicide victims who died by hanging and control group. Altogether our study included 18 subjects in which two brain regions, Brodmann area 9 (9 suicide victims and 9 controls)) and hippocampus (6 suicide victims and 6 controls) were investigated using next-generation sequencing (NGS). RESULTS Our results have shown several differences in methylation level between suicide victims and controls in both brain regions (>25% difference in methylation and q-value < 0.01), with gene ontology pointing towards cell structural integrity and nervous system regulation. Additional gene expression analysis identified changes in two genes, ZNF714 (p-value = 0.002) and NRIP3 (p-value = 0.046). LIMITATIONS Major limitation is small sample size. Our analysis was conducted on brain tissue including different cell types so the results are a representation of a methylation pattern for the whole brain tissue sample. CONCLUSIONS We performed a preliminary methylation study with single base pair resolution using NGS on one of the world populations with a very high suicide risk. Obtained results offer novel insights into altered methylation patterns in suicide victims, which could provide a starting point for further studies on clinical samples with highly expressed suicide risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Kouter
- Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tomaž Zupanc
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova ulica 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Alja Videtič Paska
- Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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15
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Fachim HA, Loureiro CM, Corsi-Zuelli F, Shuhama R, Louzada-Junior P, Menezes PR, Dalton CF, Del-Ben CM, Reynolds GP. GRIN2B promoter methylation deficits in early-onset schizophrenia and its association with cognitive function. Epigenomics 2019; 11:401-410. [DOI: 10.2217/epi-2018-0127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: We investigated GRIN1 and GRIN2B promoter methylation in first-episode schizophrenia patients compared with siblings and controls, testing for correlations between DNA methylation, cognitive performance and clinical variables. Materials & methods: Blood-derived DNA from all groups underwent bisulfite conversion and pyrosequencing to determine methylation at CpG sites within the GRIN1 and GRIN2B promoters and results were compared with the measure of global methylation LINE-1.Results: We found hypomethylation among all CpGs analyzed within GRIN2B promoter in patients and greater LINE-1 methylation in patients and siblings. CpG4 was correlated to a measure of intellectual function. Conclusion: Changes in GRIN2B promoter methylation may represent an environmental influence contributing to glutamatergic dysfunction in psychosis and relate to lower cognitive performance in subjects with first-episode schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helene A Fachim
- Department of Neurosciences & Behaviour, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil
- Biomolecular Sciences Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, UK
| | - Camila M Loureiro
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Clinical Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil
- Population Mental Health Center, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fabiana Corsi-Zuelli
- Department of Neurosciences & Behaviour, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rosana Shuhama
- Department of Neurosciences & Behaviour, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil
- Population Mental Health Center, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Paulo Rossi Menezes
- Population Mental Health Center, University of São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Caroline F Dalton
- Biomolecular Sciences Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, UK
| | - Cristina Marta Del-Ben
- Department of Neurosciences & Behaviour, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil
- Population Mental Health Center, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gavin P Reynolds
- Biomolecular Sciences Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, UK
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16
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Walton E, Relton CL, Caramaschi D. Using Openly Accessible Resources to Strengthen Causal Inference in Epigenetic Epidemiology of Neurodevelopment and Mental Health. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:E193. [PMID: 30832291 PMCID: PMC6470715 DOI: 10.3390/genes10030193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent focus on the role of epigenetic mechanisms in mental health has led to several studies examining the association of epigenetic processes with psychiatric conditions and neurodevelopmental traits. Some studies suggest that epigenetic changes might be causal in the development of the psychiatric condition under investigation. However, other scenarios are possible, e.g., statistical confounding or reverse causation, making it particularly challenging to derive conclusions on causality. In the present review, we examine the evidence from human population studies for a possible role of epigenetic mechanisms in neurodevelopment and mental health and discuss methodological approaches on how to strengthen causal inference, including the need for replication, (quasi-)experimental approaches and Mendelian randomization. We signpost openly accessible resources (e.g., "MR-Base" "EWAS catalog" as well as tissue-specific methylation and gene expression databases) to aid the application of these approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Walton
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, BS8 2BN Bristol, UK.
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, BS8 2BN Bristol, UK.
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, BA2 7AY Bath, UK.
| | - Caroline L Relton
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, BS8 2BN Bristol, UK.
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, BS8 2BN Bristol, UK.
| | - Doretta Caramaschi
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, BS8 2BN Bristol, UK.
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, BS8 2BN Bristol, UK.
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