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Akkouh IA, Ueland T, Szabo A, Hughes T, Smeland OB, Andreassen OA, Osete JR, Djurovic S. Longitudinal Transcriptomic Analysis of Human Cortical Spheroids Identifies Axonal Dysregulation in the Prenatal Brain as a Mediator of Genetic Risk for Schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 95:687-698. [PMID: 37661009 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.08.017] [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: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia (SCZ) has a known neurodevelopmental etiology, but limited access to human prenatal brain tissue hampers the investigation of basic disease mechanisms in early brain development. Here, we elucidate the molecular mechanisms contributing to SCZ risk in a disease-relevant model of the prenatal human brain. METHODS We generated induced pluripotent stem cell-derived organoids, termed human cortical spheroids (hCSs), from a large, genetically stratified sample of 14 SCZ cases and 14 age- and sex-matched controls. The hCSs were differentiated for 150 days, and comprehensive molecular characterization across 4 time points was carried out. RESULTS The transcriptional and cellular architecture of hCSs closely resembled that of fetal brain tissue at 10 to 24 postconception weeks, showing strongest spatial overlap with frontal regions of the cerebral cortex. A total of 3520 genes were differentially modulated between SCZ and control hCSs across organoid maturation, displaying a significant contribution of genetic loading, an overrepresentation of risk genes for autism spectrum disorder and SCZ, and the strongest enrichment for axonal processes in all hCS stages. The two axon guidance genes SEMA7A and SEMA5A, the first a promoter of synaptic functions and the second a repressor, were downregulated and upregulated, respectively, in SCZ hCSs. This expression pattern was confirmed at the protein level and replicated in a large postmortem sample. CONCLUSIONS Applying a disease-relevant model of the developing fetal brain, we identified consistent dysregulation of axonal genes as an early risk factor for SCZ, providing novel insights into the effects of genetic predisposition on the neurodevelopmental origins of the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibrahim A Akkouh
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Thor Ueland
- Research Institute of Internal Medicine, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; K.G. Jebsen Thrombosis Research and Expertise Center, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Attila Szabo
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Timothy Hughes
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Olav B Smeland
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jordi Requena Osete
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Srdjan Djurovic
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
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Sun X, Luo G, Li X, Wang J, Qiu Y, Li M, Li J. The relationship between inflammatory markers, clinical characteristics, and cognitive performance in drug-naïve patients with schizophrenia. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2023:10.1007/s00406-023-01677-9. [PMID: 37902865 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-023-01677-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
Increasing evidence implicates that inflammatory factors do play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. However, the association between inflammatory markers and different symptom dimensions and cognitive function of schizophrenia remains unclear. A total of 140 drug-naïve patients with schizophrenia and 69 healthy controls matched for age and gender were enrolled. Peripheral blood plasma concentrations of S-100 calcium-binding protein B (S100B), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Psychotic symptoms were measured using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and cognitive function was assessed by the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). Compared with healthy controls, patients with schizophrenia had significantly worse cognitive function and lower levels of NGAL and IFN-γ (P < 0.001). In schizophrenia, plasma NGAL and IFN-γ levels negatively correlated with positive symptom scores (all P < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between plasma levels of NGAL and IFN-γ with visual learning, neurocognition, and MCCB total score (all P < 0.05). We found that NGAL levels (β = 0.352, t = 5.553, 95% CI 0.228-0.477, P < 0.001) and negative symptoms subscale scores (β = - 0.321, OR = 0.725, 95% CI 648-0.811, P < 0.001) were independently associated with the MCCB total score. Further, binary logistic regression analysis indicated that the concentrations of NGAL (β = - 0.246, OR = 0.782, 95% CI 0.651-0.939, P = 0.008) were independently associated with the diagnosis of schizophrenia. There was a positive correlation between NGAL and IFN-γ levels and MCCB total score in schizophrenia. NGAL level was an independent protective factor for cognitive function and an independent risk factor for the diagnosis of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Sun
- Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, 13 Liulin Road, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300222, China
| | - Guoshuai Luo
- Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, 13 Liulin Road, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300222, China
| | - Xue Li
- Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, 13 Liulin Road, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300222, China
| | - Jiayue Wang
- Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, 13 Liulin Road, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300222, China
| | - Yuying Qiu
- Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, 13 Liulin Road, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300222, China
| | - Meijuan Li
- Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, 13 Liulin Road, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300222, China
| | - Jie Li
- Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, 13 Liulin Road, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300222, China.
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Assessment of Bidirectional Relationships between Mental Illness and Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study. J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12030944. [PMID: 36769592 PMCID: PMC9917759 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12030944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
A correlation between mental illness and systemic rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been observed in several prior investigations. However, little is known about the causative relationship between them. The present study aimed to systematically investigate the potential association between genetically determined mental illness and RA. Two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed using publicly released genome-wide association studies (GWAS). We selected independent genetic variants associated with four mental illnesses (bipolar disorder, broad depression, major depression, and anxiety) as instrumental variables. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used as the primary analysis to assess the causal relationship between mental illness and RA. Results of the IVW analysis suggested that genetic predisposition to bipolar disorder was associated with a decreased risk of RA (odds ratio [OR] = 0.825, 95% CI = 0.716 to 0.95, p = 0.007). Furthermore, we did not find a significant causal effect of RA on bipolar disorder in the reverse MR analysis (p > 0.05). In addition, our study found no evidence of a bidirectional causal relationship between genetically predicted broad depression, major depression, anxiety, and RA (p > 0.05). The genetically proxied bipolar disorder population has a lower RA risk, which may indicate that there is a hidden mechanism for inhibiting the pathogenesis of RA in bipolar disorder. However, results do not support a causal connection between depression, anxiety, and RA.
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