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Yan S, Wang L, Samsom JN, Ujic D, Liu F. PolyI:C Maternal Immune Activation on E9.5 Causes the Deregulation of Microglia and the Complement System in Mice, Leading to Decreased Synaptic Spine Density. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5480. [PMID: 38791517 PMCID: PMC11121703 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) is a risk factor for multiple neurodevelopmental disorders; however, animal models developed to explore MIA mechanisms are sensitive to experimental factors, which has led to complexity in previous reports of the MIA phenotype. We sought to characterize an MIA protocol throughout development to understand how prenatal immune insult alters the trajectory of important neurodevelopmental processes, including the microglial regulation of synaptic spines and complement signaling. We used polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (polyI:C) to induce MIA on gestational day 9.5 in CD-1 mice, and measured their synaptic spine density, microglial synaptic pruning, and complement protein expression. We found reduced dendritic spine density in the somatosensory cortex starting at 3-weeks-of-age with requisite increases in microglial synaptic pruning and phagocytosis, suggesting spine density loss was caused by increased microglial synaptic pruning. Additionally, we showed dysregulation in complement protein expression persisting into adulthood. Our findings highlight disruptions in the prenatal environment leading to alterations in multiple dynamic processes through to postnatal development. This could potentially suggest developmental time points during which synaptic processes could be measured as risk factors or targeted with therapeutics for neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuxin Yan
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St., Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada; (S.Y.); (L.W.); (J.N.S.); (D.U.)
| | - Le Wang
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St., Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada; (S.Y.); (L.W.); (J.N.S.); (D.U.)
- Institute of Mental Health and Drug Discovery, Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision, and Brain Health), School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Ouhai District, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - James Nicholas Samsom
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St., Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada; (S.Y.); (L.W.); (J.N.S.); (D.U.)
| | - Daniel Ujic
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St., Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada; (S.Y.); (L.W.); (J.N.S.); (D.U.)
- Institutes of Medical Science, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Cir., Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Fang Liu
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St., Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada; (S.Y.); (L.W.); (J.N.S.); (D.U.)
- Institutes of Medical Science, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Cir., Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College St., Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Cir., Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
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2
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Garcia-Rizo C, Crespo-Facorro B, Oliveira C, Gómez-Revuelta M, Kirkpatrick B, Son JMV, de la Hoz LC, Garriga M, Garrido-Torres N, Bernardo M, Fernandez-Egea E, Vázquez-Bourgon J. Anthropometry in antipsychotic-naïve first-episode psychosis patients: An exploratory approach to the role of environmental early life events in two independent samples. Schizophr Res 2024; 266:216-226. [PMID: 38428119 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with schizophrenia exhibit a reduced life expectancy mainly due to medical-related pathologies which might have been initiated due to stressful events during fetal development. Indeed, intra-uterus growth patterns predict anthropometric measures in adulthood, describing risk factors for schizophrenia and metabolic disorders. We aim to evaluate anthropometric values in two cohorts of antipsychotic-naïve first-episode episode psychosis (FEP) and correlated them with surrogate markers of the fetal environment such as birth weight (BW) and season of birth. METHODS BW, season of birth, and anthropometric values from 2 cohorts of FEP patients (Barcelona and Santander) were evaluated. In cohort B, 91 patients, and 110 controls while in cohort S, 644 and 235 were included respectively. RESULTS Patients were shorter, slimmer, and with lower BMI compared with controls. In both cohorts, patients, and female patients born in winter displayed the shortest height. Regarding BW, height was significantly associated with the interaction of diagnosis and BW in the whole sample and the male subsample. CONCLUSIONS Our results confirm reduced anthropometric features in FEP at onset while suggesting the influence of winter birth and BW, highlighting the role of early life events in the later outcome of FEP with sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clemente Garcia-Rizo
- Barcelona Clinic Schizophrenia Unit, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Departament de Medicina, Institut de Neurociències (UBNeuro), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain; CIBERSAM, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques, August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Benedicto Crespo-Facorro
- CIBERSAM, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University Hospital Virgen del Rocio-IBIS, Sevilla, Spain.
| | | | - Marcos Gómez-Revuelta
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, Institute of Biomedical Research Valdecilla (IDIVAL), Santander, Spain
| | | | - Jacqueline Mayoral-van Son
- CIBERSAM, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University Hospital Virgen del Rocio-IBIS, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Laura Cayón de la Hoz
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, Institute of Biomedical Research Valdecilla (IDIVAL), Santander, Spain
| | - Marina Garriga
- CIBERSAM, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques, August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Departament de Medicina, Institut de Neurociències (UBNeuro), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nathalia Garrido-Torres
- CIBERSAM, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University Hospital Virgen del Rocio-IBIS, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Miguel Bernardo
- Barcelona Clinic Schizophrenia Unit, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Departament de Medicina, Institut de Neurociències (UBNeuro), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain; CIBERSAM, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques, August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Emilio Fernandez-Egea
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, CB2 0QQ Cambridge, UK; Cambridge shire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Huntingdon PE29 3RJ, UK
| | - Javier Vázquez-Bourgon
- CIBERSAM, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, Institute of Biomedical Research Valdecilla (IDIVAL), Santander, Spain; Departamento de Medicina y Psiquiatría, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
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Wang X, Chen X, Guan X, Li Z. The neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte ratio is associated with clinical symptoms in first-episode medication-naïve patients with schizophrenia. SCHIZOPHRENIA (HEIDELBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 10:13. [PMID: 38310098 PMCID: PMC10851699 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-024-00437-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Innate immunity has been shown to be associated with schizophrenia (Sch). This study explored the relationship between symptoms and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (a marker of innate immunity) in patients with Sch. Ninety-seven first-episode medication-naïve (FEMN) patients with Sch and 65 healthy controls were recruited in this study. We measured the complete blood count and assessed the clinical symptoms using the PANSS scales. We found higher NEU counts and NLR in patients with Sch compared with control subjects. Male patients showed a higher NEU count than female patients. In addition, FEMN patients with higher NLR and NEU values showed higher PANSS-p, PANSS-g, and PANSS-total scores (all p < 0.05). Regression analysis revealed that NLR was a predictor for PANSS total scores in patients with Sch. Higher NLR value was observed in patients with Sch and the significant associations between NLR and psychotic symptoms indicate that an imbalance in inflammation and innate immune system may be involved in the pathophysiology of Sch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Wang
- Hebei Province Veterans Hospital, Baoding, China
| | - Xiaofang Chen
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoni Guan
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zezhi Li
- Department of Nutritional and Metabolic Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
- Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Translational Medicine of Mental Disorders, Guangzhou, China.
- Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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Tandon R, Nasrallah H, Akbarian S, Carpenter WT, DeLisi LE, Gaebel W, Green MF, Gur RE, Heckers S, Kane JM, Malaspina D, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Murray R, Owen M, Smoller JW, Yassin W, Keshavan M. The schizophrenia syndrome, circa 2024: What we know and how that informs its nature. Schizophr Res 2024; 264:1-28. [PMID: 38086109 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
With new data about different aspects of schizophrenia being continually generated, it becomes necessary to periodically revisit exactly what we know. Along with a need to review what we currently know about schizophrenia, there is an equal imperative to evaluate the construct itself. With these objectives, we undertook an iterative, multi-phase process involving fifty international experts in the field, with each step building on learnings from the prior one. This review assembles currently established findings about schizophrenia (construct, etiology, pathophysiology, clinical expression, treatment) and posits what they reveal about its nature. Schizophrenia is a heritable, complex, multi-dimensional syndrome with varying degrees of psychotic, negative, cognitive, mood, and motor manifestations. The illness exhibits a remitting and relapsing course, with varying degrees of recovery among affected individuals with most experiencing significant social and functional impairment. Genetic risk factors likely include thousands of common genetic variants that each have a small impact on an individual's risk and a plethora of rare gene variants that have a larger individual impact on risk. Their biological effects are concentrated in the brain and many of the same variants also increase the risk of other psychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder, autism, and other neurodevelopmental conditions. Environmental risk factors include but are not limited to urban residence in childhood, migration, older paternal age at birth, cannabis use, childhood trauma, antenatal maternal infection, and perinatal hypoxia. Structural, functional, and neurochemical brain alterations implicate multiple regions and functional circuits. Dopamine D-2 receptor antagonists and partial agonists improve psychotic symptoms and reduce risk of relapse. Certain psychological and psychosocial interventions are beneficial. Early intervention can reduce treatment delay and improve outcomes. Schizophrenia is increasingly considered to be a heterogeneous syndrome and not a singular disease entity. There is no necessary or sufficient etiology, pathology, set of clinical features, or treatment that fully circumscribes this syndrome. A single, common pathophysiological pathway appears unlikely. The boundaries of schizophrenia remain fuzzy, suggesting the absence of a categorical fit and need to reconceptualize it as a broader, multi-dimensional and/or spectrum construct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajiv Tandon
- Department of Psychiatry, WMU Homer Stryker School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, United States of America.
| | - Henry Nasrallah
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Cincinnati, OH 45267, United States of America
| | - Schahram Akbarian
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America
| | - William T Carpenter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States of America
| | - Lynn E DeLisi
- Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance and Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States of America
| | - Wolfgang Gaebel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LVR-Klinikum Dusseldorf, Heinrich-Heine University, Dusseldorf, Germany
| | - Michael F Green
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90024, United States of America; Greater Los Angeles Veterans' Administration Healthcare System, United States of America
| | - Raquel E Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
| | - Stephan Heckers
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States of America
| | - John M Kane
- Department of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Glen Oaks, NY 11004, United States of America
| | - Dolores Malaspina
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Genetics, and Genomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannhein/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Robin Murray
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, Kings College, London, UK
| | - Michael Owen
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, and Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jordan W Smoller
- Center for Precision Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, United States of America
| | - Walid Yassin
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States of America
| | - Matcheri Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States of America
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Traetta ME, Chaves Filho AM, Akinluyi ET, Tremblay MÈ. Neurodevelopmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 37:457-495. [PMID: 39207708 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-55529-9_26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
This chapter will focus on microglial involvement in neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders, particularly autism spectrum disorder (ASD), schizophrenia and major depressive disorder (MDD). We will describe the neuroimmune risk factors that contribute to the etiopathology of these disorders across the lifespan, including both in early life and adulthood. Microglia, being the resident immune cells of the central nervous system, could play a key role in triggering and determining the outcome of these disorders. This chapter will review preclinical and clinical findings where microglial morphology and function were examined in the contexts of ASD, schizophrenia and MDD. Clinical evidence points out to altered microglial morphology and reactivity, as well as increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, supporting the idea that microglial abnormalities are involved in these disorders. Indeed, animal models for these disorders found altered microglial morphology and homeostatic functions which resulted in behaviours related to these disorders. Additionally, as microglia have emerged as promising therapeutic targets, we will also address in this chapter therapies involving microglial mechanisms for the treatment of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Elizabeth Toyin Akinluyi
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
| | - Marie-Ève Tremblay
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
- Département de Médecine Moléculaire, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
- Axe Neurosciences, Center de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
- Neurology and Neurosurgery Department, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- Center for Advanced Materials and Related Technology (CAMTEC), University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
- Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health (IALH), University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
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Drydale E, Rath P, Holden K, Holt G, Havins L, Johnson T, Bancroft J, Handunnetthi L. Stem-cell derived neurosphere assay highlights the effects of viral infection on human cortical development. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 115:718-726. [PMID: 37995835 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Aberrant cortical development is a key feature of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Both genetic and environmental risk factors are thought to contribute to defects in cortical development; however, model systems that can capture the dynamic process of human cortical development are not well established. To address this challenge, we combined recent progress in induced pluripotent stem cell differentiation with advanced live cell imaging techniques to establish a novel three-dimensional neurosphere assay, amenable to genetic and environmental modifications, to investigate key aspects of human cortical development in real-time. For the first time, we demonstrate the ability to visualise and quantify radial glial extension and neural migration through live cell imaging. To show proof-of-concept, we used our neurosphere assay to study the effect of a simulated viral infection, a well-established environmental risk factor in neurodevelopmental disorders, on cortical development. This was achieved by exposing neurospheres to the viral mimic, polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid. The results showed significant reductions in radial glia growth and neural migration in three independent differentiations. Further, fixed imaging highlighted reductions in the HOPX-expressing outer radial glia scaffolding and a consequent decrease in the migration of CTIP2-expressing cortical cells. Overall, our results provide new insight into how infections may exert deleterious effects on the developing human cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Drydale
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Phalguni Rath
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Katie Holden
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Gregory Holt
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Laurissa Havins
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, OX3 9DU, United Kingdom; Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Level 6, West Wing, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Johnson
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - James Bancroft
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Lahiru Handunnetthi
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, OX3 9DU, United Kingdom; Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Level 6, West Wing, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, OX3 9DU, United Kingdom.
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7
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Dubey H, Sharma RK, Krishnan S, Knickmeyer R. SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) as a possible risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1021721. [PMID: 36590303 PMCID: PMC9800937 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1021721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Pregnant women constitute one of the most vulnerable populations to be affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, the cause of coronavirus disease 2019. SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy could negatively impact fetal brain development via multiple mechanisms. Accumulating evidence indicates that mother to fetus transmission of SARS-CoV-2 does occur, albeit rarely. When it does occur, there is a potential for neuroinvasion via immune cells, retrograde axonal transport, and olfactory bulb and lymphatic pathways. In the absence of maternal to fetal transmission, there is still the potential for negative neurodevelopmental outcomes as a consequence of disrupted placental development and function leading to preeclampsia, preterm birth, and intrauterine growth restriction. In addition, maternal immune activation may lead to hypomyelination, microglial activation, white matter damage, and reduced neurogenesis in the developing fetus. Moreover, maternal immune activation can disrupt the maternal or fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis leading to altered neurodevelopment. Finally, pro-inflammatory cytokines can potentially alter epigenetic processes within the developing brain. In this review, we address each of these potential mechanisms. We propose that SARS-CoV-2 could lead to neurodevelopmental disorders in a subset of pregnant women and that long-term studies are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harikesh Dubey
- Division of Neuroengineering, Institute for Quantitative Health Sciences and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Ravindra K. Sharma
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Suraj Krishnan
- Jacobi Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, The Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Rebecca Knickmeyer
- Division of Neuroengineering, Institute for Quantitative Health Sciences and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States,Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States,*Correspondence: Rebecca Knickmeyer,
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Johnson T, Saatci D, Handunnetthi L. Maternal immune activation induces methylation changes in schizophrenia genes. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278155. [PMID: 36449485 PMCID: PMC9710780 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Susceptibility to schizophrenia is mediated by genetic and environmental risk factors. Infection driven maternal immune activation (MIA) during pregnancy is a key environmental risk factor. However, little is known about how MIA during pregnancy could contribute to adult-onset schizophrenia. In this study, we investigated if maternal immune activation induces changes in methylation of genes linked to schizophrenia. We found that differentially expressed genes in schizophrenia brain were significantly enriched among MIA induced differentially methylated genes in the foetal brain in a cell-type-specific manner. Upregulated genes in layer V pyramidal neurons were enriched among hypomethylated genes at gestational day 9 (fold change = 1.57, FDR = 0.049) and gestational day 17 (fold change = 1.97, FDR = 0.0006). A linear regression analysis, which showed a decrease in gene expression with an increase in methylation in gestational day 17, supported findings from our enrichment analysis. Collectively, our results highlight a connection between MIA driven methylation changes during gestation and schizophrenia gene expression signatures in the adult brain. These findings carry important implications for early preventative strategies in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Johnson
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Defne Saatci
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Lahiru Handunnetthi
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, West Wing, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Saatci D, Johnson T, Smee M, van Nieuwenhuizen A, Handunnetthi L. The role of latitude and infections in the month-of-birth effect linked to schizophrenia. Brain Behav Immun Health 2022; 24:100486. [PMID: 35856062 PMCID: PMC9287767 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Defne Saatci
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, University of Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Thomas Johnson
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Madeleine Smee
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Adrienne van Nieuwenhuizen
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, School of Medicine, The University of California, San Francisco, 401, Parnassus Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Lahiru Handunnetthi
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, OX3 9DU, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences. Level 6, West Wing, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
- Corresponding author. Clinical Lecturer in Neurology Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics University of Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK.
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Primary Psychosis: Risk and Protective Factors and Early Detection of the Onset. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:diagnostics11112146. [PMID: 34829493 PMCID: PMC8622963 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11112146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary psychosis, which includes schizophrenia and other psychoses not caused by other psychic or physical conditions, has a strong impact worldwide in terms of disability, suffering and costs. Consequently, improvement of strategies to reduce the incidence and to improve the prognosis of this disorder is a current need. The purpose of this work is to review the current scientific literature on the main risk and protective factors of primary psychosis and to examine the main models of prevention, especially those related to the early detection of the onset. The conditions more strongly associated with primary psychosis are socio-demographic and economic factors such as male gender, birth in winter, ethnic minority, immigrant status, and difficult socio-economic conditions while the best-established preventive factors are elevated socio-economic status and an economic well-being. Risk and protective factors may be the targets for primordial, primary, and secondary preventive strategies. Acting on modifiable factors may reduce the incidence of the disorder or postpone its onset, while an early detection of the new cases enables a prompt treatment and a consequential better prognosis. According to this evidence, the study of the determinants of primary psychosis has a pivotal role in designing and promoting preventive policies aimed at reducing the burden of disability and suffering of the disorder.
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Handunnetthi L, Saatci D, Hamley JC, Knight JC. Maternal immune activation downregulates schizophrenia genes in the foetal mouse brain. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcab275. [PMID: 34859219 PMCID: PMC8633770 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Susceptibility to schizophrenia is mediated by genetic and environmental risk factors. Maternal immune activation by infections during pregnancy is hypothesized to be a key environmental risk factor. However, little is known about how maternal immune activation contributes to schizophrenia pathogenesis. In this study, we investigated if maternal immune activation influences the expression of genes associated with schizophrenia in foetal mouse brains. We found that two sets of schizophrenia genes were downregulated more than expected by chance in the foetal mouse brain following maternal immune activation, namely those genes associated with schizophrenia through genome-wide association study (fold change = 1.93, false discovery rate = 4 × 10-4) and downregulated genes in adult schizophrenia brains (fold change = 1.51, false discovery rate = 4 × 10-10). We found that these genes mapped to key biological processes, such as neuronal cell adhesion. We also identified cortical excitatory neurons and inhibitory interneurons as the most vulnerable cell types to the deleterious effects of this interaction. Subsequently, we used gene expression information from herpes simplex virus 1 infection of neuronal precursor cells as orthogonal evidence to support our findings and to demonstrate that schizophrenia-associated cell adhesion genes, PCDHA2, PCDHA3 and PCDHA5, were downregulated following herpes simplex virus 1 infection. Collectively, our results provide novel evidence for a link between genetic and environmental risk factors in schizophrenia pathogenesis. These findings carry important implications for early preventative strategies in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lahiru Handunnetthi
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Defne Saatci
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Joseph C Hamley
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Julian C Knight
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
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