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Jeste DV, Malaspina D, Bagot K, Barch DM, Cole S, Dickerson F, Dilmore A, Ford CL, Karcher NR, Luby J, Rajji T, Pinto-Tomas AA, Young LJ. Review of Major Social Determinants of Health in Schizophrenia-Spectrum Psychotic Disorders: III. Biology. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:867-880. [PMID: 37023360 PMCID: PMC10318888 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social determinants of health (SDoHs) are nonmedical factors that significantly impact health and longevity. We found no published reviews on the biology of SDoHs in schizophrenia-spectrum psychotic disorders (SSPD). STUDY DESIGN We present an overview of pathophysiological mechanisms and neurobiological processes plausibly involved in the effects of major SDoHs on clinical outcomes in SSPD. STUDY RESULTS This review of the biology of SDoHs focuses on early-life adversities, poverty, social disconnection, discrimination including racism, migration, disadvantaged neighborhoods, and food insecurity. These factors interact with psychological and biological factors to increase the risk and worsen the course and prognosis of schizophrenia. Published studies on the topic are limited by cross-sectional design, variable clinical and biomarker assessments, heterogeneous methods, and a lack of control for confounding variables. Drawing on preclinical and clinical studies, we propose a biological framework to consider the likely pathogenesis. Putative systemic pathophysiological processes include epigenetics, allostatic load, accelerated aging with inflammation (inflammaging), and the microbiome. These processes affect neural structures, brain function, neurochemistry, and neuroplasticity, impacting the development of psychosis, quality of life, cognitive impairment, physical comorbidities, and premature mortality. Our model provides a framework for research that could lead to developing specific strategies for prevention and treatment of the risk factors and biological processes, thereby improving the quality of life and increasing the longevity of people with SSPD. CONCLUSIONS Biology of SDoHs in SSPD is an exciting area of research that points to innovative multidisciplinary team science for improving the course and prognosis of these serious psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilip V Jeste
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego (Retired), CA, USA
| | - Dolores Malaspina
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Genetics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kara Bagot
- Department of Psychiatry, Addiction Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Deanna M Barch
- Departments of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Psychiatry, and Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Steve Cole
- Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, and Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Faith Dickerson
- Department of Psychology, Sheppard Pratt, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Amanda Dilmore
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Charles L Ford
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Nicole R Karcher
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Joan Luby
- Department of Psychiatry (Child), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Tarek Rajji
- Adult Neurodevelopment and Geriatric Psychiatry Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Adrián A Pinto-Tomas
- Biochemistry Department, School of Medicine, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Larry J Young
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Seeman MV. Subjective Overview of Accelerated Aging in Schizophrenia. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 20:737. [PMID: 36613059 PMCID: PMC9819113 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20010737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia, like many other human diseases, particularly neuropsychiatric diseases, shows evidence of accelerated brain aging. The molecular nature of the process of aging is unknown but several potential indicators have been used in research. The concept of accelerated aging in schizophrenia took hold in 2008 and its timing, pace, determinants and deterrents have been increasingly examined since. The present overview of the field is brief and selective, based on diverse studies, expert opinions and successive reviews. Current thinking is that the timing of age acceleration in schizophrenia can occur at different time periods of the lifespan in different individuals, and that antipsychotics may be preventive. The majority opinion is that the cognitive decline and premature death often seen in schizophrenia are, in principle, preventable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary V Seeman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 260 Heath St. West, Suite #605, Toronto, ON M5P 3L6, Canada
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Segura ÀG, Prohens L, Mezquida G, Amoretti S, Bioque M, Ribeiro M, Gurriarán-Bas X, Rementería L, Berge D, Rodriguez-Jimenez R, Roldán A, Pomarol-Clotet E, Ibáñez A, Usall J, García-Portilla MP, Cuesta MJ, Parellada M, González-Pinto A, Berrocoso E, Bernardo M, Mas S, González-Díaz JM, Arbelo N, González-Peñas J, Pina-Camacho L, Diestre A, Selma J, Zorrilla I, López P, Trabsa A, Monserrat C, Sanchez-Pastor L, Nuñez-Doyle A, Fatjó-Vilas M, Sarró S, Butjosa A, Pardo M, López-Ilundain JM, Sánchez Torres AM, Saiz-Ruiz J, Ochoa-Mangado E, RIevero O, De-la-Cámara C, Echevarría RS, González-Blanco L. Epigenetic clocks in relapse after a first episode of schizophrenia. SCHIZOPHRENIA 2022; 8:61. [PMID: 35869075 PMCID: PMC9307769 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-022-00268-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The main objective of the present study was to investigate the association between several epigenetic clocks, covering different aspects of aging, with schizophrenia relapse evaluated over a 3-year follow-up period in a cohort of ninety-one first-episode schizophrenia patients. Genome-wide DNA methylation was profiled and four epigenetic clocks, including epigenetic clocks of chronological age, mortality and telomere length were calculated. Patients that relapsed during the follow-up showed epigenetic acceleration of the telomere length clock (p = 0.030). Shorter telomere length was associated with cognitive performance (working memory, r = 0.31 p = 0.015; verbal fluency, r = 0.28 p = 0.028), but no direct effect of cognitive function or symptom severity on relapse was detected. The results of the present study suggest that epigenetic age acceleration could be involved in the clinical course of schizophrenia and could be a useful marker of relapse when measured in remission stages.
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Zakharova N, Bravve L, Mamedova G, Kaydan M, Ershova E, Martynov A, Veiko N, Kostyuk S. Telomere Length as a Marker of Suicidal Risk in Schizophrenia. CONSORTIUM PSYCHIATRICUM 2022; 3:37-47. [PMID: 39045115 PMCID: PMC11262099 DOI: 10.17816/cp171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia and suicidal behavior are associated with shortening in the length of telomeres. The aim of the study was to compare the content (pg/mcg) of telomeric repeat in DNA isolated from peripheral blood cells in three groups of subjects: patients with schizophrenia and a history of suicide attempts, patients with schizophrenia without suicidal tendencies, and healthy control volunteers. METHODS Relapses according to gender and age were examined in 47 patients with schizophrenia with suicidal behavior, 47 patients without self-destructive conditions, and 47 volunteers with healthy control and maintenance for the content of telomeric and the number of copies of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in peripheral blood leukocytes. RESULTS Analysis of determining the content of telomeric repeat (TR) in the DNA of massive weight gain in the series: patients with schizophrenia and suicidal attempts - patients with schizophrenia without suicidal observations - healthy controls (225±28.4 (227 [190; 250]) vs. 243±21 (245 [228; 260]) vs. 255±17.9 (255 [242; 266]), p <0.005. The same trend is observed for the number of mtDNA copies (257±101.5 (250 [194; 297])) vs. 262.3±59.3 (254 [217; 312]) vs. 272±79.9 (274 [213; 304]); p=0.012), but no significant differences were recorded. CONCLUSIONS For the first time, the phenomenon of telomere shortening was discovered in schizophrenics with suicidal risk. The length of the telomere corresponds to the parameter of a biological marker - an objectively measured indicator of normal or pathological processes, but gaining an idea of its reliability is still necessary for verification with an assessment of its sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value. The telomere may be considered a putative predictive indicator of suicidal risk.
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Leukocyte telomere length in patients with schizophrenia and related disorders: a meta-analysis of case-control studies. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:2968-2975. [PMID: 35393557 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01541-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Telomere length may serve as a biomarker of cellular aging. The literature assessing telomere length in schizophrenia contains conflicting results. OBJECTIVE To assess differences in leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in peripheral blood in patients with schizophrenia and related disorders and healthy controls and to explore the effect of potential confounding variables. DATA SOURCES A search of Ovid MEDLINE, and Proquest databases was conducted to identify appropriate studies published from database inception through December 2020. The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO-ID: CRD42021233280. STUDY SELECTION The initial literature search yielded 192 studies. After study selection in 3 phases, we included 29 samples from 22 studies in the meta-analysis database. DATA EXTRACTION We used random effects and meta-regression models to derive Cohen d values with pooled 95% confidence intervals (CI) as estimates of effect size (ES) and to test effects of potential moderators. RESULTS The overall meta-analysis included 4145 patients with schizophrenia and related disorders and 4184 healthy controls and showed that LTL was significantly shorter in patients, with a small to medium effect size (ES, -0.388; 95% CI, -0.492 to -0.283; p < 0.001). Subgroup meta-analyses did not find a significant effect of age or illness duration on differences in LTL in patients with psychosis relative to controls. Meta-regression analyses showed that none of the putative moderators had a significant effect on effect size estimates. CONCLUSIONS This meta-analysis find further support for the hypothesis of accelerated cellular aging in schizophrenia and related disorders and highlights the need for large longitudinal studies with repeated LTL measurements over time and appropriate assessments of associated factors.
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Pippal N, Halder S, Srivastava S, Kar R, Gupta R, Anthonio AE. Correlation between telomere length and efficacy of oral and long-acting injectable antipsychotics on severity and cognitive impairment of schizophrenia. Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract 2022; 26:157-164. [PMID: 34715000 DOI: 10.1080/13651501.2021.1994613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To study the correlation between telomere length (TL) and long-acting injectable (LAI) and oral atypical antipsychotic (OAA) efficacy on schizophrenia (SCZ) severity and cognitive impairment. METHODS Sixty Schizophrenia patients of 18-50 years and of either sex were included in a 12-week study. Thirty patients were recruited in each group, LAI and OAA. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) neuropsychological battery tests were evaluated at baseline and 12 weeks. TL was estimated at baseline. RESULTS Both groups showed a significant improvement in PANSS and NIMHANS battery test scores after treatment (p < 0.001) within the group, though not between the groups. Mean TL at baseline was 407.58 ± 143.93 and 443.40 ± 178.46 in LAI and OAA groups respectively. A significant negative correlation (r = -0.28, p = 0.03) of TL was seen with the mean change in negative PANSS score after treatment. CONCLUSIONS LAI antipsychotics are similar to OAA in decreasing the disorder severity and improving the cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. Also, patients who have shorter TL show greater improvement in the negative PANSS score. Hence, TL holds the potential of predicting antipsychotic drug response in schizophrenia patients.KEY POINTSLong-acting injectable antipsychotic was comparable to oral atypical antipsychotics in bringing out improvement in disorder severity, cognitive functions over 12 weeks.Shorter telomere length has been found to be associated with a greater response in negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisha Pippal
- Department of Pharmacology, University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Delhi, India
| | - Sumita Halder
- Department of Pharmacology, University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Delhi, India
| | - Shruti Srivastava
- Department of Psychiatry, University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Delhi, India
| | - Rajarshi Kar
- Department of Biochemistry, University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Delhi, India
| | - Rachna Gupta
- Department of Pharmacology, University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Delhi, India
| | - Almeida Edelbert Anthonio
- Department of Biochemistry, University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Delhi, India
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7
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Polho GB, Cardillo GM, Kerr DS, Chile T, Gattaz WF, Forlenza OV, Brentani HP, De-Paula VJ. Antipsychotics preserve telomere length in peripheral blood mononuclear cells after acute oxidative stress injury. Neural Regen Res 2022; 17:1156-1160. [PMID: 34558545 PMCID: PMC8552857 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.324852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Antipsychotics may prolong or retain telomere length, affect mitochondrial function, and then affect the metabolism of nerve cells. To validate the hypothesis that antipsychotics can prolong telomere length after oxidative stress injury, leukocytes from healthy volunteers were extracted using Ficoll-Histopaque density gradient. The mononuclear cells layer was resuspended in cell culture medium. Oxidative stress was induced with hydrogen peroxide in cultured leukocytes. Four days later, leukocytes were treated with aripiprazole, haloperidol or clozapine for 7 days. Real-time PCR revealed that treatments with aripiprazole and haloperidol increased the telomere length by 23% and 20% in peripheral blood mononuclear cells after acute oxidative stress injury. These results suggest that haloperidol and aripiprazole can reduce the damage to telomeres induced by oxidative stress. The experiment procedure was approved by the Ethics Committee of Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (FMUSP/CAAE approval No. 52622616.8.0000.0065).
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel B. Polho
- Laboratório de Neurociências (LIM-27), Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Giancarlo M. Cardillo
- Laboratório de Neurociências (LIM-27), Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Daniel S. Kerr
- Laboratório de Neurociências (LIM-27), Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Thais Chile
- Laboratório de Psicobiologia (LIM-23), Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Wagner F. Gattaz
- Laboratório de Neurociências (LIM-27), Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Orestes V. Forlenza
- Laboratório de Neurociências (LIM-27), Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Helena P. Brentani
- Laboratório de Psicobiologia (LIM-23), Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Vanessa J. De-Paula
- Laboratório de Neurociências (LIM-27), Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brasil
- Laboratório de Psicobiologia (LIM-23), Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brasil
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Reckziegel R, Czepielewski LS, Hasse-Sousa M, Martins DS, de Britto MJ, Lapa CDO, Schwartzhaupt AW, Gama CS. Heterogeneous trajectories in schizophrenia: insights from neurodevelopment and neuroprogression models. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE PSIQUIATRIA (SAO PAULO, BRAZIL : 1999) 2022; 44:74-80. [PMID: 33886948 PMCID: PMC8827372 DOI: 10.1590/1516-4446-2020-1670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The notion that schizophrenia is a neuroprogressive disorder is based on clinical perception of cumulative impairments over time and is supported by neuroimaging and biomarker research. Nevertheless, increasing evidence has indicated that schizophrenia first emerges as a neurodevelopmental disorder that could follow various pathways, some of them neuroprogressive. The objective of this review is to revisit basic research on cognitive processes and neuroimaging findings in a search for candidate keys to the intricate connections between neurodevelopment and neuroprogression in schizophrenia. In the complete panorama, schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder, possibly associated with an additional burden over the course of the disease through pathologically accelerated aging, and cognitive heterogeneity may explain the different trajectories of each patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramiro Reckziegel
- Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Departamento de Psiquiatria e Medicina Legal, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Letícia S. Czepielewski
- Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Departamento de Psiquiatria e Medicina Legal, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia, Departamento de Psicologia do Desenvolvimento e da Personalidade, Instituto de Psicologia, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Mathias Hasse-Sousa
- Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Departamento de Psiquiatria e Medicina Legal, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Dayane S. Martins
- Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Departamento de Psiquiatria e Medicina Legal, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Maria J. de Britto
- Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Departamento de Psiquiatria e Medicina Legal, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Clara de O. Lapa
- Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Departamento de Psiquiatria e Medicina Legal, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Alexandre W. Schwartzhaupt
- Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Departamento de Psiquiatria e Medicina Legal, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Clarissa S. Gama
- Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Departamento de Psiquiatria e Medicina Legal, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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Navarro-Mateu F, Husky M, Cayuela-Fuentes P, Álvarez FJ, Roca-Vega A, Rubio-Aparicio M, Chirlaque MD, Cayuela ML, Martínez S, Sánchez-Meca J. The association of telomere length with substance use disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Addiction 2021; 116:1954-1972. [PMID: 33140537 DOI: 10.1111/add.15312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Several recent studies have investigated the relationship between telomere length and substance use disorders with inconsistent results. We aimed to assess this association and to identify moderators of the relationship. METHODS Systematic review and meta-analysis. Selection criteria were observational studies reporting telomere length in people with a substance use disorder compared with a control group. Studies focused solely on nicotine addiction, employing other study designs, and non-human studies were excluded. Study selection and data extraction were independently conducted by two researchers following a standardized protocol and included studies until December 2019. Standardized mean differences were used as the effect size index [d; 95% confidence interval (CI)] and random-effects models were used for the meta-analysis. Cochran's Q-statistic, I2 index, visual inspection of the forest plot and a 95% prediction interval were applied to verify study heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses and meta-regressions were conducted to explore heterogeneity. Small study effects were examined using the 'funnel plot', the Egger test, Duval & Tweedie's trim-and-fill method and the precision-effect test-precision-effect estimate with standard error (PET-PEESE) method. The risk of bias and the quality of evidence were assessed. RESULTS Ten studies (12 analysis units with 2671 cases and 4532 controls) met the selection criteria. An overall effect size of moderate magnitude was found (d+ = -0.63; 95% CI = -1.00 and -0.26; P = 0.0008). A potential small study effect was detected, as well as large heterogeneity between studies (Q-statistic P < 0.001, I2 = 97.3%). Selection of controls, reporting laboratory quality control procedures and total sample size significantly affected the effect size. The quality of the evidence was very low, based on risk of bias analysis and the grading of recommendations assessment, development and evaluation (GRADE) system. CONCLUSIONS People with substance use disorders appear to have shorter telomere length than controls; however, this finding should be interpreted with caution due to the poor quality of the evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Navarro-Mateu
- Servicio Murciano de Salud, Unidad de Docencia, Investigación y Formación en Salud Mental (UDIF-SM), Murcia, Spain.,CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.,IMIB-Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain.,Departamento de Psicología Básica y Metodología, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Mathilde Husky
- Université de Bordeaux, Laboratoire de Psychologie EA4139, Bordeaux, France
| | - Pedro Cayuela-Fuentes
- Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería de Cartagena, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Francisco-Javier Álvarez
- Servicio Murciano de Salud, Unidad de Docencia, Investigación y Formación en Salud Mental (UDIF-SM), Murcia, Spain
| | - Agustín Roca-Vega
- Biblioteca Virtual MurciaSalud, Centro Tecnológico de Información y Documentación Sanitaria, Servicio Murciano de Salud, Murcia, Spain
| | | | - María Dolores Chirlaque
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.,IMIB-Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain.,Servicio de Epidemiología, Consejería de Salud, Murcia, Spain.,Departamento de Ciencias Sociosanitarias, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - María Luisa Cayuela
- Grupo Telomerasa, Cáncer y Envejecimiento, Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Salvador Martínez
- Instituto de Neurociencias, UMH-CSIC, Alicante, Spain.,and CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Julio Sánchez-Meca
- Departamento de Psicología Básica y Metodología, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
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10
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Abel ME, Zhang X, Asah SM, Wolfinger A, McCullumsmith RE, O'Donovan SM. KEOPS complex expression in the frontal cortex in major depression and schizophrenia. World J Biol Psychiatry 2021; 22:446-455. [PMID: 32914678 PMCID: PMC8005497 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2020.1821917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Recently, the presence of a complete five subunit Kinase, Endopeptidase and Other Proteins of small Size (KEOPS) complex was confirmed in humans. The highly conserved KEOPS protein complex has established roles in tRNA modification, protein translation and telomere homeostasis in yeast, but little is known about KEOPS mRNA expression and function in human brain and disease. Here, we characterise KEOPS expression in post-mortem tissue from subjects diagnosed with major depression (MDD) and schizophrenia and assess whether KEOPS is associated with telomere length dysregulation in neuropsychiatric disorders. METHODS We assessed mRNA expression of KEOPS complex subunits TP53RK, TPRKB, GON7, LAGE3, OSGEP, and OSGEP mitochondrial ortholog OSGEPL1 in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of subjects with MDD, schizophrenia and matched non-psychiatrically ill controls (n = 20 per group) using qPCR. We conducted bioinformatic analysis using Kaleidoscope, data mining post-mortem transcriptomic datasets to characterise KEOPS expression in human brain. Finally, we assayed relative telomere length in the DLPFC using a qPCR-based assay and carried out correlation analysis with KEOPS subunit mRNA expression to determine if the KEOPS complex is associated with telomere length dysregulation in neuropsychiatric disorders. RESULTS There were no significant changes in KEOPS mRNA expression in the DLPFC in MDD or schizophrenia compared to non-psychiatrically ill controls. Relative telomere length was not significantly altered in MDD or schizophrenia, nor was there an association between relative telomere length and KEOPS subunit gene expression in these subjects. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first to describe KEOPS complex expression in post-mortem brain and neuropsychiatric disorders. KEOPS subunit mRNA expression is not significantly altered in the DLPFC in MDD or schizophrenia. Unlike in yeast, the KEOPS complex does not appear to play a role in telomere length regulation in humans or in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie E Abel
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Xiaolu Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Sophie M Asah
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Alyssa Wolfinger
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Robert E McCullumsmith
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
- Neurosciences Institute, Promedica, Toledo, OH, USA
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11
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Rebouças DB, Sartori JM, Librenza-Garcia D, Rabelo-da-Ponte FD, Massuda R, Czepielewski LS, Passos IC, Gama CS. Accelerated aging signatures in subjects with schizophrenia and their unaffected siblings. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 139:30-37. [PMID: 34022473 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a chronic debilitating disease. Subjects with SZ have significant shorter life expectancy. Growing evidence suggests that a process of pathological accelerated aging occurs in SZ, leading to early development of severe clinical diseases and worse morbimortality. Furthermore, unaffected relatives can share certain endophenotypes with subjects with SZ. We aim to characterize accelerated aging as a possible endophenotype of schizophrenia by using a machine learning (ML) model of peripheral biomarkers to accurately differentiate subjects with SZ (n = 35), their unaffected siblings (SB, n = 36) and healthy controls (HC, n = 47). We used a random forest algorithm that included biomarkers related to aging: eotaxins CCL-11 and CCL-24; the oxidative stress markers thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), protein carbonyl content (PCC), glutathione peroxidase (GPx); and telomere length (TL). The ML algorithm of biomarkers was able to distinguish individuals with SZ from HC with prediction accuracy of 79.7%, SZ from SB with 62.5% accuracy and SB from HC with 75.5% accuracy. These results support the hypothesis that a pathological accelerated aging might occur in SZ, and this pathological aging could be an endophenotype of the disease, once this profile was also observed in SB, suggesting that SB might suffer from an accelerated aging in some level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Barreto Rebouças
- Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Juliana Mastella Sartori
- Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Diego Librenza-Garcia
- Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Francisco Diego Rabelo-da-Ponte
- Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Raffael Massuda
- Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Departamento de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Leticia Sanguinetti Czepielewski
- Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Programa de Pós- Graduação em Psicologia, Departamento de Psicologia do Desenvolvimento e da Personalidade, Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Ives Cavalcante Passos
- Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Clarissa Severino Gama
- Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
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12
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Schürhoff F, Corfdir C, Pignon B, Lajnef M, Richard JR, Marcos E, Pelissolo A, Leboyer M, Adnot S, Jamain S, Szöke A. No alteration of leukocyte telomere length in first episode psychosis. Psychiatry Res 2021; 301:113941. [PMID: 33945962 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Both shorter telomeres and schizophrenia have been associated with a decrease in life expectancy. Furthermore, several studies found a shorter telomere length (TL) in schizophrenia. Understanding whether or not telomere shortening is directly related to pathophysiology of schizophrenia or is a consequence of a cumulative exposure to chronic stress is of major importance. Comparing the TL of subjects at the very beginning of the disease (FEP) and control subjects could help to decide between these two hypotheses. The aim of the present study was to compare TL between FEP subjects (N=91) and controls (N=137). After accounting for multiple potential confounders, no significant association was observed between FEP and TL. Our result is consistent with the hypothesis that psycho-social stress / adversities and stressful situations in people with schizophrenia affect TL rather than that telomere erosion contributes to the development of this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franck Schürhoff
- Univ Paris Est Creteil (UPEC), AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires « H. Mondor », DMU IMPACT, INSERM, IMRB, translational Neuropsychiatry, Fondation FondaMental F-94010 Creteil, France.
| | - Cécile Corfdir
- Univ Paris Est Creteil (UPEC), AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires « H. Mondor », DMU IMPACT, INSERM, IMRB, translational Neuropsychiatry, Fondation FondaMental F-94010 Creteil, France
| | - Baptiste Pignon
- Univ Paris Est Creteil (UPEC), AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires « H. Mondor », DMU IMPACT, INSERM, IMRB, translational Neuropsychiatry, Fondation FondaMental F-94010 Creteil, France
| | - Mohamed Lajnef
- Univ Paris Est Creteil (UPEC), AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires « H. Mondor », DMU IMPACT, INSERM, IMRB, translational Neuropsychiatry, Fondation FondaMental F-94010 Creteil, France
| | - Jean-Romain Richard
- Univ Paris Est Creteil (UPEC), AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires « H. Mondor », DMU IMPACT, INSERM, IMRB, translational Neuropsychiatry, Fondation FondaMental F-94010 Creteil, France
| | - Elisabeth Marcos
- INSERM U955, Département de Physiologie - Explorations fonctionnelles, Hôpital Henri Mondor, AP-HP, FHU SENEC, Créteil, 94000, France
| | - Antoine Pelissolo
- Univ Paris Est Creteil (UPEC), AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires « H. Mondor », DMU IMPACT, INSERM, IMRB, translational Neuropsychiatry, Fondation FondaMental F-94010 Creteil, France
| | - Marion Leboyer
- Univ Paris Est Creteil (UPEC), AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires « H. Mondor », DMU IMPACT, INSERM, IMRB, translational Neuropsychiatry, Fondation FondaMental F-94010 Creteil, France
| | - Serge Adnot
- INSERM U955, Département de Physiologie - Explorations fonctionnelles, Hôpital Henri Mondor, AP-HP, FHU SENEC, Créteil, 94000, France
| | - Stephane Jamain
- Univ Paris Est Creteil (UPEC), AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires « H. Mondor », DMU IMPACT, INSERM, IMRB, translational Neuropsychiatry, Fondation FondaMental F-94010 Creteil, France
| | - Andrei Szöke
- Univ Paris Est Creteil (UPEC), AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires « H. Mondor », DMU IMPACT, INSERM, IMRB, translational Neuropsychiatry, Fondation FondaMental F-94010 Creteil, France
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13
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Abstract
Objective: Previous research examining telomeres in individuals with neuropsychiatric disorders shows that greater illness, symptoms, or cognitive impairment are linked with shorter telomeres. However, the relationships of telomere length and neuropsychological processes or psychiatric symptoms are not understood in individuals with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Method: 390 young adults with and without ADHD completed a multi-informant diagnostic assessment and neuropsychological testing battery. Participant DNA was isolated from saliva samples, and telomere length was determined using qPCR. Results: Linear regression models demonstrated the only significant association to survive correction for multiple testing was for childhood hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms and longer telomere length. Conclusion: Contrary to expectations, longer telomere length in young adults was associated only with childhood ADHD symptoms, particularly hyperactivity-impulsivity, in this sample. These findings are an important demonstration that the neuropsychological deficits and symptoms experienced by individuals diagnosed with ADHD during adulthood may not be negatively associated with telomere length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M. Momany
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
| | - Stephanie Lussier
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, and Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
| | - Molly A. Nikolas
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
| | - Hanna Stevens
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, and Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
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14
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Corfdir C, Pignon B, Szöke A, Schürhoff F. [Accelerated telomere erosion in schizophrenia: A literature review]. Encephale 2021; 47:369-375. [PMID: 33863507 DOI: 10.1016/j.encep.2020.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is associated with a weighted average of 14.5 years of potential life lost according to a recent meta-analysis. This is partly explained by high rates of suicide and a high prevalence of non-psychiatric comorbidity (cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers…). However, all these causes could not fully explain the loss of life expectancy in people suffering from schizophrenia. Life expectancy has been strongly correlated with telomere length (TL). Telomeres are noncoding structures consisting of DNA TTAGGG tandem repeats and associated proteins located at the end of the chromosomes. Their role is to help preserve genome stability by protecting chromosomal ends from the loss of genetic material. The progressive loss of telomeric material during cell divisions has led researchers to consider telomeres as molecular clocks that measure the number of divisions left until cellular death. The fact that both shorter telomeres and schizophrenia have been associated with a decrease in life expectancy has fueled the interest in the study of TL in schizophrenia. In this article, after a detailed review of the literature on the relationships between telomere length and schizophrenia, we discuss the different pathophysiological mechanisms which might explain this association. Based on this analysis, in the last part of the article we discuss potential research, therapeutic and prevention prospects. To date, the majority of the studies and meta-analyses found a decrease in TL in subjects with schizophrenia compared to control subjects. Conversely, all the studies exploring the TL in subjects suffering from first episode psychosis (FEP) have shown no significant difference from TL in control subjects. This suggests that excessive shortening of telomeres occurs during the course of the disease, thus it seems more probable that schizophrenia (or processes associated with it) affects TL rather than telomere erosion being a cause of the disorder. Several pathophysiological, non-mutually exclusive mechanisms have been proposed to explain the observed data. A first hypothesis to explain the acceleration of the physiological process of telomere erosion in schizophrenia is the activation of inflammation processes and oxidative stress as a consequence of schizophrenia per se. However, it seems more probable that reduced TL may be a result of cumulative exposure to chronic stress related to schizophrenia. Indeed, in healthy individuals a growing body of evidence has linked chronic stress to accelerated shortening of TL. This might explain why telomere erosion is too small to be detected in FEP patients who are younger and have a shorter duration of illness than subjects with schizophrenia. Based on these both explanations, telomere alterations may be considered as a biomarker of illness progression and might be useful for illness staging. Identifying processes associated with TL reduction might improve our understanding of the increased mortality and morbidity in schizophrenia, improve reliability of diagnosis, and hopefully suggest means for prevention and/or treatment. Treatments that prevent exposure and/or vulnerability to stressful life events that ameliorate schizophrenia may also prevent or decelerate telomere erosion. In this perspective, engaging subjects suffering from schizophrenia in a healthy diet and regular activity could be both promising strategies to protect telomere maintenance and improve health span at old age. In addition, the inflammatory process and oxidative stress involved in the physiopathology in at least a subgroup of subjects with schizophrenia could also be responsible for telomere erosion. Thus, an efficient anti-inflammatory therapeutic approach that targets these specific pathways could be of interest in this subgroup to limit telomere erosion. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) therapies have been shown to reduce telomere erosion by increasing telomerase activity, although these psychological therapies should be used carefully in psychosis. Finally, advancing our understanding of the relationship between stress, inflammation and TL is of great interest for psychiatric research and for understanding stress effects in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Corfdir
- DMU IMPACT, Inserm, IMRB, translational Neuropsychiatry, Fondation FondaMental, hôpitaux universitaires « H. Mondor », université Paris Est Creteil (UPEC), Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), 94010 Creteil, France
| | - B Pignon
- DMU IMPACT, Inserm, IMRB, translational Neuropsychiatry, Fondation FondaMental, hôpitaux universitaires « H. Mondor », université Paris Est Creteil (UPEC), Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), 94010 Creteil, France
| | - A Szöke
- DMU IMPACT, Inserm, IMRB, translational Neuropsychiatry, Fondation FondaMental, hôpitaux universitaires « H. Mondor », université Paris Est Creteil (UPEC), Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), 94010 Creteil, France
| | - F Schürhoff
- DMU IMPACT, Inserm, IMRB, translational Neuropsychiatry, Fondation FondaMental, hôpitaux universitaires « H. Mondor », université Paris Est Creteil (UPEC), Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), 94010 Creteil, France.
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15
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Lewis CR, Taguinod F, Jepsen WM, Cohen J, Agrawal K, Huentelman MJ, Smith CJ, Ringenbach SDR, Braden BB. Telomere Length and Autism Spectrum Disorder Within the Family: Relationships With Cognition and Sensory Symptoms. Autism Res 2020; 13:1094-1101. [PMID: 32323911 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Telomeres are repetitive noncoding deoxynucleotide sequences that cap chromosomes to protect DNA. Telomere length (TL) is affected by both genetic and environmental factors, and shortening of telomeres is associated with multiple neuropsychiatric disorders, early life stress, and age-related cognitive dysfunction. Two previous studies associated shorter TL with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We aimed to replicate this finding, describe TL in unaffected siblings, and explore novel relationships with symptoms and cognitive function in families with ASD. Participants were 212 male children and adolescents ages 1-17 years (86 with ASD, 57 unaffected siblings, and 69 typically developing [TD]) and 64 parents. TL was measured from blood leukocytes with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and results are expressed by relative ratios with a single copy gene. We replicated that children and adolescents with ASD have shorter TL, compared to TD, and show that unaffected siblings have TL in between those of TD and ASD. We present novel associations between TL and sensory symptoms in ASD. Finally, we demonstrate cognitive functions, but not autistic traits, are related to TL in parents of children with ASD. Cognitive function and TL were not related in children and adolescents. As the third replication, our results elicit confidence in the finding that ASD is associated with shorter TL. Our novel sensory investigation suggests that shortened TL may be a biological mechanism of sensory symptoms in ASD. Furthermore, results highlight the need to better understand relationships between cognition, aging, and TL in families with ASD. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1094-1101. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Telomeres cap chromosomes to protect DNA. They progressively shorten as people age and are related to health outcomes. We replicated previous findings that children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have shorter telomeres, compared to typically developing (TD), and show that unaffected siblings have telomere length (TL) in between those of TD and ASD. We find shortened TL is related to more severe sensory symptoms. This may mean families with ASD, especially those with elevated sensory symptoms, are at risk for worse age-related health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candace R Lewis
- Neurogenomics Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Francis Taguinod
- Neurogenomics Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Wayne M Jepsen
- Neurogenomics Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Jorey Cohen
- Neurogenomics Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Komal Agrawal
- Neurogenomics Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Matthew J Huentelman
- Neurogenomics Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | | | | | - B Blair Braden
- Arizona State University, College of Health Solutions, Tempe, Arizona, USA
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16
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McLaughlin KA, Colich NL, Rodman AM, Weissman DG. Mechanisms linking childhood trauma exposure and psychopathology: a transdiagnostic model of risk and resilience. BMC Med 2020; 18:96. [PMID: 32238167 PMCID: PMC7110745 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-020-01561-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 231] [Impact Index Per Article: 57.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transdiagnostic processes confer risk for multiple types of psychopathology and explain the co-occurrence of different disorders. For this reason, transdiagnostic processes provide ideal targets for early intervention and treatment. Childhood trauma exposure is associated with elevated risk for virtually all commonly occurring forms of psychopathology. We articulate a transdiagnostic model of the developmental mechanisms that explain the strong links between childhood trauma and psychopathology as well as protective factors that promote resilience against multiple forms of psychopathology. MAIN BODY We present a model of transdiagnostic mechanisms spanning three broad domains: social information processing, emotional processing, and accelerated biological aging. Changes in social information processing that prioritize threat-related information-such as heightened perceptual sensitivity to threat, misclassification of negative and neutral emotions as anger, and attention biases towards threat-related cues-have been consistently observed in children who have experienced trauma. Patterns of emotional processing common in children exposed to trauma include elevated emotional reactivity to threat-related stimuli, low emotional awareness, and difficulties with emotional learning and emotion regulation. More recently, a pattern of accelerated aging across multiple biological metrics, including pubertal development and cellular aging, has been found in trauma-exposed children. Although these changes in social information processing, emotional responding, and the pace of biological aging reflect developmental adaptations that may promote safety and provide other benefits for children raised in dangerous environments, they have been consistently associated with the emergence of multiple forms of internalizing and externalizing psychopathology and explain the link between childhood trauma exposure and transdiagnostic psychopathology. Children with higher levels of social support, particularly from caregivers, are less likely to develop psychopathology following trauma exposure. Caregiver buffering of threat-related processing may be one mechanism explaining this protective effect. CONCLUSION Childhood trauma exposure is a powerful transdiagnostic risk factor associated with elevated risk for multiple forms of psychopathology across development. Changes in threat-related social and emotional processing and accelerated biological aging serve as transdiagnostic mechanisms linking childhood trauma with psychopathology. These transdiagnostic mechanisms represent critical targets for early interventions aimed at preventing the emergence of psychopathology in children who have experienced trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie A McLaughlin
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| | - Natalie L Colich
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Box 351525, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Alexandra M Rodman
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - David G Weissman
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
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17
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Navarro-Mateu F, Rubio-Aparicio M, Cayuela P, Álvarez FJ, Roca-Vega A, Chirlaque MD, Cayuela ML, Husky M, Martínez S, Sánchez-Meca J. The association of telomere length with substance use disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis protocol. Syst Rev 2019; 8:298. [PMID: 31787100 PMCID: PMC6886210 DOI: 10.1186/s13643-019-1199-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The present protocol was designed for a systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at determining the association of telomere length with substance use disorders with the exclusion of nicotine addiction, and to identify potential moderators of the effect of telomere length. Such methodological information may provide guidance to improve the quality of future research on this important topic. METHODS Potential studies will be identified through electronic databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) up from inception onwards. The inclusion criteria will include published or unpublished observational studies (cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies) reporting telomere length in adult patients with substance use disorder compared with a control group. Non-human studies or other study designs such as reviews, case-only, family-based, and/or population studies with only healthy participants will be excluded, as well as those focused solely on nicotine addiction. The main outcome will be telomere length in adults with substance use disorder (primary) and, specifically, in those with alcohol use disorder (secondary). Two investigators will independently evaluate the preselected studies for possible inclusion and will extract data following a standardized protocol. Disagreements will be resolved by consensus. The risk of bias of all included studies will be assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale for non-randomized studies. Data will be converted into standardized mean differences as effect size index, and random-effects models will be used for the meta-analysis. Cochran's Q statistic, I2 index, and visual inspection of the forest plot will be used to verify study heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses and meta-regressions will be conducted to ascertain heterogeneity. Several sensitivity analyses will be conducted to address the influence of potential confounding factors. Publication bias will be examined using the "funnel plot" method with Duval and Tweedie's trim-and-fill method and Egger test. DISCUSSION This systematic review will assess the association of telomere length with substance use disorders aside from nicotine addiction. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION PROSPERO registration number CRD42019119785.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Navarro-Mateu
- Unidad de Docencia, Investigación y Formación en Salud Mental (UDIF-SM), Servicio Murciano de Salud, c/ Lorca, n° 58, 30120, Murcia, Spain. .,CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain. .,IMIB-Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain. .,Departamento de Psicología Básica y Metodología, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
| | | | - Pedro Cayuela
- Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería de Cartagena, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Francisco-Javier Álvarez
- Unidad de Docencia, Investigación y Formación en Salud Mental (UDIF-SM), Servicio Murciano de Salud, c/ Lorca, n° 58, 30120, Murcia, Spain
| | - Agustín Roca-Vega
- Biblioteca Virtual MurciaSalud, Centro Tecnológico de Información y Documentación Sanitaria, Servicio Murciano de Salud, Murcia, Spain
| | - María Dolores Chirlaque
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.,IMIB-Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain.,Servicio de Epidemiología, Consejería de Salud, Murcia, Spain.,Departamento de Ciencias Sociosanitarias, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - María Luisa Cayuela
- IMIB-Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain.,Grupo Telomerasa, Cáncer y Envejecimiento, Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain
| | - Mathilde Husky
- Laboratoire de Psychologie EA4139, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Julio Sánchez-Meca
- Departamento de Psicología Básica y Metodología, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
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18
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Valiati FE, Hizo GH, Pinto JV, Kauer-Sant`Anna M. The Possible Role of Telomere Length and Chemokines in the Aging Process: A Transdiagnostic Review in Psychiatry. CURRENT PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH AND REVIEWS 2019. [DOI: 10.2174/1573400515666190719155906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background:Psychiatric disorders are common, reaching a worldwide prevalence of 29.2%. They are associated with a high risk of premature death and with accelerated aging in clinical, molecular and neuroimaging studies. Recently, there is strong evidence suggesting a possible role of telomere length and chemokines in aging processes in psychiatric disorders.Objective:We aimed to review the literature on telomere length and chemokines and its association with early aging in mental illnesses on a transdiagnostic approach.Results:The review highlights the association between psychiatric disorders and early aging. Several independent studies have reported shorter telomere length and dysregulations on levels of circulating chemokines in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and anxiety disorders, suggesting a complex interaction between these markers in a transdiagnostic level. However, studies have investigated the inflammatory markers and telomere shortening separately and associated with a particular diagnosis, rather than as a transdiagnostic biological feature.Conclusion:There is consistent evidence supporting the relationship between accelerated aging, telomere length, and chemokines in mental disorders, but they have been studied individually. Thus, more research is needed to improve the knowledge of accelerated senescence and its biomarkers in psychiatry, not only individually in each diagnosis, but also based on a transdiagnostic perspective. Moreover, further research should try to elucidate how the intricate association between the chemokines and telomeres together may contribute to the aging process in psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Endler Valiati
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Experimental Research Center, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Henrique Hizo
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Experimental Research Center, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Jairo Vinícius Pinto
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Experimental Research Center, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Márcia Kauer-Sant`Anna
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Experimental Research Center, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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19
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Bateson M, Eisenberg DTA, Nettle D. Controlling for baseline telomere length biases estimates of the rate of telomere attrition. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:190937. [PMID: 31824705 PMCID: PMC6837209 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.190937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Longitudinal studies have sought to establish whether environmental exposures such as smoking accelerate the attrition of individuals' telomeres over time. These studies typically control for baseline telomere length (TL) by including it as a covariate in statistical models. However, baseline TL also differs between smokers and non-smokers, and telomere attrition is spuriously linked to baseline TL via measurement error and regression to the mean. Using simulated datasets, we show that controlling for baseline TL overestimates the true effect of smoking on telomere attrition. This bias increases with increasing telomere measurement error and increasing difference in baseline TL between smokers and non-smokers. Using a meta-analysis of longitudinal datasets, we show that as predicted, the estimated difference in telomere attrition between smokers and non-smokers is greater when statistical models control for baseline TL than when they do not, and the size of the discrepancy is positively correlated with measurement error. The bias we describe is not specific to smoking and also applies to other exposures. We conclude that to avoid invalid inference, models of telomere attrition should not control for baseline TL by including it as a covariate. Many claims of accelerated telomere attrition in individuals exposed to adversity need to be re-assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Bateson
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution and Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Henry Wellcome Building, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | | | - Daniel Nettle
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution and Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Henry Wellcome Building, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
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20
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Cardillo GDM, De-Paula VDJR, Ikenaga EH, Costa LR, Catanozi S, Schaeffer EL, Gattaz WF, Kerr DS, Forlenza OV. Chronic Lithium Treatment Increases Telomere Length in Parietal Cortex and Hippocampus of Triple-Transgenic Alzheimer's Disease Mice. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 63:93-101. [PMID: 29614649 DOI: 10.3233/jad-170838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Telomere length (TL) is a biomarker of cell aging, and its shortening has been linked to several age-related diseases. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), telomere shortening has been associated with neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. The majority of studies on TL in AD were based on leucocyte DNA, with little information about its status in the central nervous system. In addition to other neuroprotective effects, lithium has been implicated in the maintenance of TL. The present study aims to determine the effect of chronic lithium treatment on TL in different regions of the mouse brain, using a triple-transgenic mouse model (3xTg-AD). Eighteen transgenic and 22 wild-type (Wt) male mice were treated for eight months with chow containing 1.0 g (Li1) or 2.0 g (Li2) of lithium carbonate/kg, or standard chow (Li0). DNA was extracted from parietal cortex, hippocampus and olfactory epithelium and TL was quantified by real-time PCR. Chronic lithium treatment was associated with longer telomeres in the hippocampus (Li2, p = 0.0159) and in the parietal cortex (Li1, p = 0.0375) of 3xTg-AD compared to Wt. Our findings suggest that chronic lithium treatment does affect telomere maintenance, but the magnitude and nature of this effect depend on the working concentrations of lithium and characteristics of the tissue. This effect was observed when comparing 3xTg-AD with Wt mice, suggesting that the presence of AD pathology was required for the lithium modulation of TL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giancarlo de Mattos Cardillo
- Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM-27), Instituto de Psiquiatria do Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Vanessa de Jesus Rodrigues De-Paula
- Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM-27), Instituto de Psiquiatria do Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Laboratory of Psysbio (LIM-23), Instituto de Psiquiatria do Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Eliza Hiromi Ikenaga
- Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM-27), Instituto de Psiquiatria do Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Luciana Rodrigues Costa
- Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM-27), Instituto de Psiquiatria do Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Sergio Catanozi
- Lipids Laboratory (LIM-10), Endocrinology and Metabolism Division of Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Evelin Lisete Schaeffer
- Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM-27), Instituto de Psiquiatria do Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Wagner Farid Gattaz
- Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM-27), Instituto de Psiquiatria do Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Daniel Shikanai Kerr
- Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM-27), Instituto de Psiquiatria do Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Instituto Federal de Educacao, Ciencia e Tecnologia Catarinense-Campus Camboriu, Camboriu, SC, Brazil
| | - Orestes Vicente Forlenza
- Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM-27), Instituto de Psiquiatria do Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
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21
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Han LKM, Verhoeven JE, Tyrka AR, Penninx BWJH, Wolkowitz OM, Månsson KNT, Lindqvist D, Boks MP, Révész D, Mellon SH, Picard M. Accelerating research on biological aging and mental health: Current challenges and future directions. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 106:293-311. [PMID: 31154264 PMCID: PMC6589133 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Aging is associated with complex biological changes that can be accelerated, slowed, or even temporarily reversed by biological and non-biological factors. This article focuses on the link between biological aging, psychological stressors, and mental illness. Rather than comprehensively reviewing this rapidly expanding field, we highlight challenges in this area of research and propose potential strategies to accelerate progress in this field. This effort requires the interaction of scientists across disciplines - including biology, psychiatry, psychology, and epidemiology; and across levels of analysis that emphasize different outcome measures - functional capacity, physiological, cellular, and molecular. Dialogues across disciplines and levels of analysis naturally lead to new opportunities for discovery but also to stimulating challenges. Some important challenges consist of 1) establishing the best objective and predictive biological age indicators or combinations of indicators, 2) identifying the basis for inter-individual differences in the rate of biological aging, and 3) examining to what extent interventions can delay, halt or temporarily reverse aging trajectories. Discovering how psychological states influence biological aging, and vice versa, has the potential to create novel and exciting opportunities for healthcare and possibly yield insights into the fundamental mechanisms that drive human aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura K M Han
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Oldenaller 1, the Netherlands; Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Josine E Verhoeven
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Oldenaller 1, the Netherlands
| | - Audrey R Tyrka
- Butler Hospital and the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Brenda W J H Penninx
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Oldenaller 1, the Netherlands; Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Owen M Wolkowitz
- Department of Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kristoffer N T Månsson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Daniel Lindqvist
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Psychiatry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA; Psychiatric Clinic, Lund, Division of Psychiatry, Lund, Sweden
| | - Marco P Boks
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Dóra Révész
- Center of Research on Psychology in Somatic diseases (CoRPS), Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands
| | - Synthia H Mellon
- Department of Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Martin Picard
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Behavioral Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Department of Neurology, H. Houston Merritt Center, Columbia Translational Neuroscience Initiative, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Columbia Aging Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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22
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Monroy-Jaramillo N, Dyukova E, Walss-Bass C. Telomere length in psychiatric disorders: Is it more than an ageing marker? World J Biol Psychiatry 2019; 19:S2-S20. [PMID: 28000540 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2016.1273550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Psychiatric and substance-use disorders have been associated with premature biological ageing. Telomere length (TL), considered an ageing marker, has been analysed in psychiatric disorders, and to a lesser extent in substance-use disorders, with recent findings suggesting TL may be related to disease pathology. METHODS We conducted a critical and non-systematic literature search of TL studies published up to June 2016 in psychiatric and substance-use disorders, focussing on studies describing mechanisms, including studies linking telomere biology with genetic factors, stress and mitochondrial alterations (104 studies selected). RESULTS Patients with major depressive disorder and anxiety appear to have shorter leukocyte telomeres compared to controls. Inconclusive results are found for other psychiatric disorders and for substance-use disorders. This may be due in part to differences in medication treatment and response, as studies suggest that some psychotropic medications may modulate TL. Importantly, some studies establish a relationship between telomere machinery, stress and mitochondria function in psychiatric and substance-use disorders. CONCLUSIONS While further longitudinal studies considering telomere genetics are needed to clarify the cause-effect link between telomeres and mitochondria function in psychiatric and substance-use disorders, the recent findings linking these biological processes suggest that telomeres may be more than ageing markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Monroy-Jaramillo
- a Translational Psychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences , McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) , Houston , TX , USA.,b Department of Genetics , National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Manuel Velasco Suarez , Mexico City , Mexico
| | - Elena Dyukova
- a Translational Psychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences , McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) , Houston , TX , USA
| | - Consuelo Walss-Bass
- a Translational Psychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences , McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) , Houston , TX , USA
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23
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Smith L, Luchini C, Demurtas J, Soysal P, Stubbs B, Hamer M, Nottegar A, Lawlor RT, Lopez-Sanchez GF, Firth J, Koyanagi A, Roberts J, Willeit P, Waldhoer T, Loosemore M, Abbs AD, Johnstone J, Yang L, Veronese N. Telomere length and health outcomes: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies. Ageing Res Rev 2019; 51:1-10. [PMID: 30776454 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2019.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to map and grade evidence for the relationships between telomere length with a diverse range of health outcomes, using an umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses. We searched for meta-analyses of observational studies reporting on the association of telomere length with any health outcome (clinical disease outcomes and intermediate traits). For each association, random-effects summary effect size, 95% confidence interval (CI), and 95% prediction interval were calculated. To evaluate the credibility of the identified evidence, we assessed also heterogeneity, evidence for small-study effect and evidence for excess significance bias. Twenty-one relevant meta-analyses were identified reporting on 50 different outcomes. The level of evidence was high only for the association of short telomeres with higher risk of gastric cancer in the general population (relative risk, RR = 1.95, 95%CI: 1.68-2.26), and moderate for the association of shorter telomeres with diabetes or with Alzheimer's disease, even if limited to meta-analyses of case-control studies. There was weak evidence for twenty outcomes and not significant association for 27 health outcomes. The present umbrella review demonstrates that shorter telomere length may have an important role in incidence gastric cancer and, probably, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. At the same time, conversely to general assumptions, it does not find strong evidence supporting the notion that shorter telomere length plays an important role in many health outcomes that have been studied thus far.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee Smith
- The Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Claudio Luchini
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Italy
| | - Jacopo Demurtas
- Primary Care Department Azienda USL Toscana Sud Est, Grosseto, Italy
| | - Pinar Soysal
- Kayseri Education and Research Hospital, Geriatric Center, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Brendon Stubbs
- Physiotherapy Department, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AZ, UK; Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
| | - Mark Hamer
- School Sport Exercise Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
| | - Alessia Nottegar
- Department of Surgery, Section of Pathology, San Bortolo Hospital, Vicenza, Italy
| | - Rita T Lawlor
- ARC-Net Research Center, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | | | - Joseph Firth
- NICM Health Research Institute, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ai Koyanagi
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu/CIBERSAM, Universitat de Barcelona, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Justin Roberts
- The Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK
| | - Peter Willeit
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria; Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Thomas Waldhoer
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Mike Loosemore
- University College London, Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health, UK
| | | | - James Johnstone
- The Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lin Yang
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Nicola Veronese
- National Research Council, Neuroscience Institute, Aging Branch, Padova, Italy.
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24
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Telomere shortening in blood leukocytes of patients with posttraumatic stress disorder. J Psychiatr Res 2019; 111:83-88. [PMID: 30685566 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2019.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Telomeres are protective fragments on chromosome ends involved in maintaining genome stability, preventing chromosomal fusions, regulation of cell division. It was shown that telomere attrition rate is accelerated in age-related diseases, as well as in response to physiological and psychosocial stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate relative leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in patients with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as to investigate association of functional SNPs of telomerase TERC and TERT genes with LTL and PTSD. The relative LTL was measured by multiplex quantitative PCR method; genotyping of TERC rs12696304, TERT rs7726159 and rs2736100 was performed by PCR with sequence specific primers. Comparison of LTL in diseased and healthy subjects showed that PTSD patients had shorter average LTL than controls. Also, the frequency and the carriage rate of the TERT rs2736100*T allele was higher in PTSD patients compared to controls. Overall our results are in line with previous research in different populations. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that rs2736100 of TERT gene was significantly associated with PTSD and the minor allele of this polymorphism may be considered as a risk factor for PTSD in the Armenian population.
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25
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Çevik B, Mançe-Çalışır Ö, Atbaşoğlu EC, Saka MC, Alptekin K, Üçok A, Sırmatel B, Gülöksüz S, Tükün A, van Os J, Gümüş-Akay G. Psychometric liability to psychosis and childhood adversities are associated with shorter telomere length: A study on schizophrenia patients, unaffected siblings, and non-clinical controls. J Psychiatr Res 2019; 111:169-185. [PMID: 30776705 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2019.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Compared to the general population, individuals diagnosed with Schizophrenia (SCZ) experience a higher frequency and an earlier onset of chronic medical disorders, resulting in a reduction in life expectancy by an average of 15-25 years. Recently, it has been hypothesized that SCZ is a syndrome of accelerated aging. Childhood adversity was also associated with the pathogenesis and course of SCZ. Our hypothesis was that both SCZ patients and their unaffected siblings would have shorter telomere length (TL) compared to of non-clinical controls. Our additional goals were to determine (1) whether shorter TL correlates with intermediate phenotypes of SCZ (i.e. Psychosis-like symptoms and schizotypal traits); and (2) whether childhood adversities have a moderating role in TL shortening among SCZ and their unaffected siblings. To this end, SCZ patients (n = 100), their unaffected siblings (n = 100) and non-clinical controls (n = 100) were enrolled. The main variables were TL, measured by aTL-qPCR; psychotic-like and schizotypal symptoms, assessed by The Community Assessment of Psychic Experience (CAPE) and the Structured Interview for Schizotypy-Revised (SIS-R), respectively; and childhood adversities evaluated by the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse (CECA)-Interview. Potentially relevant variables also included in the analyses were: Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores, cognitive performance, and socio-demographic features. In contrast to our hypothesis patients had similar TL when compared to the non-clinical controls. Interestingly, unaffected siblings had longer TL compared to both patients and controls (p < 0.001). Independent from group status a negative correlation was observed between TL and psychotic-like symptoms as rated by the CAPE (p < 0.01). Childhood adversities, especially loneliness between ages 0 and 11 were also negatively associated with TL (p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that psychometric liability to psychosis and childhood adversities may be associated with shorter TL. Unaffected siblings had longer TL, suggesting the potential role of resilience on both the TL and the clinical presentation. These findings must be considered preliminary, calling for larger-scale replication efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Burcu Çevik
- Brain Research Center, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey; Biotechnology Institute, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | - Eşref Cem Atbaşoğlu
- Department of Psychiatry, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Meram Can Saka
- Department of Psychiatry, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Köksal Alptekin
- Department of Psychiatry, Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Alp Üçok
- Department of Psychiatry, Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Burcu Sırmatel
- Department of Physiology, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Sinan Gülöksüz
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA
| | - Ajlan Tükün
- Center of Genetic Diagnosis, Duzen Laboratories Group, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Jim van Os
- Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Brain Centre Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht University Medical Centre, Utrecht, the Netherlands; King's College London, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
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26
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Anitha A, Thanseem I, Vasu MM, Viswambharan V, Poovathinal SA. Telomeres in neurological disorders. Adv Clin Chem 2019; 90:81-132. [PMID: 31122612 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acc.2019.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Ever since their discovery, the telomeres and the telomerase have been topics of intensive research, first as a mechanism of cellular aging and later as an indicator of health and diseases in humans. By protecting the chromosome ends, the telomeres play a vital role in preserving the information in our genome. Telomeres shorten with age and the rate of telomere erosion provides insight into the proliferation history of cells. The pace of telomere attrition is known to increase at the onset of several pathological conditions. Telomere shortening has been emerging as a potential contributor in the pathogenesis of several neurological disorders including autism spectrum disorders (ASD), schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and depression. The rate of telomere attrition in the brain is slower than that of other tissues owing to the low rate of cell proliferation in brain. Telomere maintenance is crucial for the functioning of stem cells in brain. Taking together the studies on telomere attrition in various neurological disorders, an association between telomere shortening and disease status has been demonstrated in schizophrenia, AD and depression, in spite of a few negative reports. But, studies in ASD and PD have failed to produce conclusive results. The cause-effect relationship between TL and neurological disorders is yet to be elucidated. The factors responsible for telomere erosion, which have also been implicated in the pathogenesis of neurological disorders, need to be explored in detail. Telomerase activation is now being considered as a potential therapeutic strategy for neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayyappan Anitha
- Institute for Communicative and Cognitive Neurosciences (ICCONS), Palakkad, Kerala, India.
| | - Ismail Thanseem
- Institute for Communicative and Cognitive Neurosciences (ICCONS), Palakkad, Kerala, India
| | - Mahesh Mundalil Vasu
- Institute for Communicative and Cognitive Neurosciences (ICCONS), Palakkad, Kerala, India
| | - Vijitha Viswambharan
- Institute for Communicative and Cognitive Neurosciences (ICCONS), Palakkad, Kerala, India
| | - Suresh A Poovathinal
- Institute for Communicative and Cognitive Neurosciences (ICCONS), Palakkad, Kerala, India
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27
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Shivakumar V, Kalmady SV, Rajasekaran A, Chhabra H, Anekal AC, Narayanaswamy JC, Ravi V, Gangadhar BN, Venkatasubramanian G. Telomere length and its association with hippocampal gray matter volume in antipsychotic-naïve/free schizophrenia patients. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2018; 282:11-17. [PMID: 30384145 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2018.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Accelerated ageing processes are postulated to underlie schizophrenia pathogenesis. This postulate is supported by observations of reduced telomere length in schizophrenia patients. Hippocampus, one of the most important brain regions implicated in schizophrenia, is shown to atrophy at a faster rate in aging. In this study, telomere length (TL) was measured in 30 antipsychotic-naive/free schizophrenia patients and 60 healthy controls using quantitative PCR assay. Hippocampus volume was measured using voxel-based morphometry. Schizophrenia was associated with differential TL between sexes [Status × Sex; F(1,85) = 5.9, p = 0.017, η2 = 0.065]. Male schizophrenia patients had significantly lower relative TL than female patients [F(1,85) = 7.38, p = 0.008], while such sex difference was not observed in healthy controls [F(1,85) = 0.16, p = 0.69]. Schizophrenia patients showed a significant sex-by-telomere interaction with both right & left hippocampus, with male patients showing positive association of telomere length with volume, while female patients showed negative association. Telomere shortening and the positive association of telomere length with hippocampus volume was observed only in male patients with schizophrenia. Since correlational observations in this cross-sectional study does not necessarily support definitive causal relationship, further longitudinal studies examining hippocampus volume and telomere in schizophrenia patients are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venkataram Shivakumar
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Sunil V Kalmady
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Ashwini Rajasekaran
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Harleen Chhabra
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Amaresha C Anekal
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Janardhanan C Narayanaswamy
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Vasanthapuram Ravi
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Bangalore N Gangadhar
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Ganesan Venkatasubramanian
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India.
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28
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Russo P, Prinzi G, Proietti S, Lamonaca P, Frustaci A, Boccia S, Amore R, Lorenzi M, Onder G, Marzetti E, Valdiglesias V, Guadagni F, Valente MG, Cascio GL, Fraietta S, Ducci G, Bonassi S. Shorter telomere length in schizophrenia: Evidence from a real-world population and meta-analysis of most recent literature. Schizophr Res 2018; 202:37-45. [PMID: 30001973 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe, chronic mental disorder. Schizophrenia is visualized as an accelerated cellular aging syndrome characterized by early onset of cardiovascular disease causing premature mortality. In human aging involves alterations in telomere length (TL). To investigate the presence of TL shortening in schizophrenia and psychiatric syndromes associated, this condition was studied in leukocytes (LTL) of a sample of patients suffering from schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, and compared with a group of non-psychiatric controls. We explored the relationship between LTL and age, gender, and smoking habit with the aim to control whether these potential confounding factors may influence the rate of telomeres shortening. We also performed a new comprehensive meta-analysis including studies on LTL in schizophrenia patients compared to healthy subjects published in the last two years and the results of the present study. Our results suggest that a diagnosis of schizophrenia, more than gender, age, cigarette smoking or alcohol drinking, is the most important condition responsible of the LTL shortening. A strong LTL shortening was observed in patients affected by schizophrenia, Schizoaffective disorder, and Psychosis not otherwise specified when they were younger than 50 years, while in the group of older subjects no major differences were observed. Additional evidence supporting the causal link of schizophrenia with accelerated telomeres shortening came from the analysis of the updated meta-analysis. The availability of a personalized profile of mechanistic pathways, risk factors, and clinical features may pose the basis for a rehabilitative treatment addressing individual needs of the psychiatric patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrizia Russo
- Unit of Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166, RM, Italy
| | - Giulia Prinzi
- Unit of Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166, RM, Italy
| | - Stefania Proietti
- Scientific Direction, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166, RM, Italy
| | - Palma Lamonaca
- Unit of Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166, RM, Italy
| | - Alessandra Frustaci
- Specialist Services-Eating Disorders, Barnet and Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust, St. Ann's Hospitals, St. Ann's Road, N15 3TH, London, UK
| | - Stefania Boccia
- Section of Hygiene-Institute of Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli, Largo Agostino Gemelli, 8, 00168, RM, Italy
| | - Rosarita Amore
- Section of Hygiene-Institute of Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli, Largo Agostino Gemelli, 8, 00168, RM, Italy
| | - Maria Lorenzi
- Department of Geriatrics, Neurosciences and Orthopedics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli, Largo Agostino Gemelli, 8, 00168, RM, Italy
| | - Graziano Onder
- Department of Geriatrics, Neurosciences and Orthopedics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli, Largo Agostino Gemelli, 8, 00168, RM, Italy
| | - Emanuele Marzetti
- Department of Geriatrics, Neurosciences and Orthopedics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli, Largo Agostino Gemelli, 8, 00168, RM, Italy
| | - Vanessa Valdiglesias
- DICOMOSA Group, Department of Psychology, Universidade de A Coruña, Campus Elviña, s/n -15071, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Fiorella Guadagni
- Interinstitutional Multidisciplinary Biobank (BioBIM), IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166, RM, Italy; San Raffaele University, Via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166, RM, Italy
| | - Maria Giovanna Valente
- Interinstitutional Multidisciplinary Biobank (BioBIM), IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166, RM, Italy
| | - Gerland Lo Cascio
- San Raffaele Montecompatri, Via San Silvestro 67, 00077 Montecompatri, RM, Italy
| | - Sara Fraietta
- Mental Health Department, ASL Roma 1, Piazza Santa Maria della Pietà 5, RM, 00135, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Ducci
- Mental Health Department, ASL Roma 1, Piazza Santa Maria della Pietà 5, RM, 00135, Italy
| | - Stefano Bonassi
- Unit of Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166, RM, Italy; San Raffaele University, Via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166, RM, Italy.
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Solana C, Pereira D, Tarazona R. Early Senescence and Leukocyte Telomere Shortening in SCHIZOPHRENIA: A Role for Cytomegalovirus Infection? Brain Sci 2018; 8:brainsci8100188. [PMID: 30340343 PMCID: PMC6210638 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci8100188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe, chronic mental disorder characterized by delusions and hallucinations. Several evidences support the link of schizophrenia with accelerated telomeres shortening and accelerated aging. Thus, schizophrenia patients show higher mortality compared to age-matched healthy donors. The etiology of schizophrenia is multifactorial, involving genetic and environmental factors. Telomere erosion has been shown to be accelerated by different factors including environmental factors such as cigarette smoking and chronic alcohol consumption or by psychosocial stress such as childhood maltreatment. In humans, telomere studies have mainly relied on measurements of leukocyte telomere length and it is generally accepted that individuals with short leukocyte telomere length are considered biologically older than those with longer ones. A dysregulation of both innate and adaptive immune systems has been described in schizophrenia patients and other mental diseases supporting the contribution of the immune system to disease symptoms. Thus, it has been suggested that abnormal immune activation with high pro-inflammatory cytokine production in response to still undefined environmental agents such as herpesviruses infections can be involved in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of schizophrenia. It has been proposed that chronic inflammation and oxidative stress are involved in the course of schizophrenia illness, early onset of cardiovascular disease, accelerated aging, and premature mortality in schizophrenia. Prenatal or neonatal exposures to neurotropic pathogens such as Cytomegalovirus or Toxoplasma gondii have been proposed as environmental risk factors for schizophrenia in individuals with a risk genetic background. Thus, pro-inflammatory cytokines and microglia activation, together with genetic vulnerability, are considered etiological factors for schizophrenia, and support that inflammation status is involved in the course of illness in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corona Solana
- Centro Hospitalar Psiquiatrico de Lisboa, 1700-063 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Diana Pereira
- Centro Hospitalar Psiquiatrico de Lisboa, 1700-063 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Raquel Tarazona
- Immunology Unit, University of Extremadura, 10003 Caceres, Spain.
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30
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Riley G, Perrin M, Vaez-Azizi LM, Ruby E, Goetz RR, Dracxler R, Walsh-Messinger J, Keefe DL, Buckley PF, Szeszko PR, Malaspina D. Telomere length and early trauma in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2018; 199:426-430. [PMID: 29618413 PMCID: PMC8787687 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.02.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2017] [Revised: 02/25/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood trauma is emerging as a risk factor for schizophrenia, but its mechanism with respect to etiology is unknown. One possible pathway is through leucocyte telomere length (LTL) shortening, a measure of cellular aging associated with trauma. This study examined early trauma and LTL shortening in schizophrenia and considered sex effects. METHODS The early trauma inventory (ETI) was administered to 48 adults with DSM-5 schizophrenia and 18 comparison participants. LTL was measured using qPCR. OUTCOMES Cases had significantly more global trauma (F=4.10, p<0.01) and traumatic events (F=11.23, p<0.001), but case and control groups had similar LTL (1.91±0.74 and 1.83±0.62: p=0.68). The association of early trauma and LTL differed by sex in cases and controls (Fisher's R: Z<0.05). Significant negative associations were shown in male cases and, conversely, in female controls. For example, physical punishment was associated LTL shortening in males' cases (r=-0.429, p<01). Only female controls showed significant telomere shortening in association with early trauma. INTERPRETATION This data confirms the substantial excess of early trauma among schizophrenia cases. There were significant sex-differences in the relationship of the trauma to LTL, with only male cases showing the expected shortening. There were converse sex effects in the control group. Mean LTL was notably similar in cases and controls, despite the trauma-related shortening in male cases, cigarette smoking, older age and chronic illness of the cases. Factors may lengthen LTL in some schizophrenia cases. The converse sex differences in the cases are consistent with findings defective sexual differentiation in schizophrenia, consistent with other findings in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Riley
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University, 1 Park Avenue, 8th Floor Room 222, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Mary Perrin
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University, 1 Park Avenue, 8th Floor Room 222, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Leila M. Vaez-Azizi
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University, 1 Park Avenue, 8th Floor Room 222, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Eugene Ruby
- Department of Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Raymond R. Goetz
- New York State Psychiatric Institute at Columbia University, Columbia University Department of Psychiatry, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Roberta Dracxler
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University, 1 Park Avenue, 8th Floor Room 222, New York, NY 10016, USA,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Julie Walsh-Messinger
- Department of Psychology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dayton, OH, USA
| | - David L. Keefe
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Peter F. Buckley
- Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Philip R. Szeszko
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dolores Malaspina
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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31
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Pepper GV, Bateson M, Nettle D. Telomeres as integrative markers of exposure to stress and adversity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018. [PMID: 30225068 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1189538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Telomeres have been proposed as a biomarker that integrates the impacts of different kinds of stress and adversity into a common currency. There has as yet been no overall comparison of how different classes of exposure associate with telomeres. We present a meta-analysis of the literature relating telomere measures to stresses and adversities in humans. The analysed dataset contained 543 associations from 138 studies involving 402 116 people. Overall, there was a weak association between telomere variables and exposures (greater adversity, shorter telomeres: r = -0.15, 95% CI -0.18 to -0.11). This was not driven by any one type of exposure, because significant associations were found separately for physical diseases, environmental hazards, nutrition, psychiatric illness, smoking, physical activity, psychosocial and socioeconomic exposures. Methodological features of the studies did not explain any substantial proportion of the heterogeneity in association strength. There was, however, evidence consistent with publication bias, with unexpectedly strong negative associations reported by studies with small samples. Restricting analysis to sample sizes greater than 100 attenuated the overall association substantially (r = -0.09, 95% CI -0.13 to -0.05). Most studies were underpowered to detect the typical association magnitude. The literature is dominated by cross-sectional and correlational studies which makes causal interpretation problematic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gillian V Pepper
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution and Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Henry Wellcome Building, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Melissa Bateson
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution and Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Henry Wellcome Building, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Daniel Nettle
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution and Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Henry Wellcome Building, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
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32
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Pepper GV, Bateson M, Nettle D. Telomeres as integrative markers of exposure to stress and adversity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:180744. [PMID: 30225068 PMCID: PMC6124068 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.180744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Telomeres have been proposed as a biomarker that integrates the impacts of different kinds of stress and adversity into a common currency. There has as yet been no overall comparison of how different classes of exposure associate with telomeres. We present a meta-analysis of the literature relating telomere measures to stresses and adversities in humans. The analysed dataset contained 543 associations from 138 studies involving 402 116 people. Overall, there was a weak association between telomere variables and exposures (greater adversity, shorter telomeres: r = -0.15, 95% CI -0.18 to -0.11). This was not driven by any one type of exposure, because significant associations were found separately for physical diseases, environmental hazards, nutrition, psychiatric illness, smoking, physical activity, psychosocial and socioeconomic exposures. Methodological features of the studies did not explain any substantial proportion of the heterogeneity in association strength. There was, however, evidence consistent with publication bias, with unexpectedly strong negative associations reported by studies with small samples. Restricting analysis to sample sizes greater than 100 attenuated the overall association substantially (r = -0.09, 95% CI -0.13 to -0.05). Most studies were underpowered to detect the typical association magnitude. The literature is dominated by cross-sectional and correlational studies which makes causal interpretation problematic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Daniel Nettle
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution and Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Henry Wellcome Building, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
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33
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Tsai MT, Lee SM, Chen HK, Wu BJ. Association between frailty and its individual components with the risk of falls in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Schizophr Res 2018; 197:138-143. [PMID: 29395605 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Revised: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/21/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Frailty is common among older people who carry an increased risk for poor outcomes, including falls, physical disabilities, infections, and mortality. However, the prevalence of frailty and the prognostic influence of frailty status are poorly understood in adults with schizophrenia. The present study aimed to assess the predictive ability of frailty and its individual components for the risk of falls in patients with chronic schizophrenia. Frailty status was assessed at baseline by using Fried frailty criteria after the enrollment of 561 patients with chronic schizophrenia. The patients were followed up for 18 months, and the outcome of the study was the incidence of falls. The mean age of the patients was 53.8 years, and a total of 35.3% were females. One-quarter (25.3%) of patients received typical antipsychotics. The prevalence of frailty was 10.2% at baseline. During follow-up, 40 patients (7.1%) experienced falls. Frailty status was associated with increased susceptibility to falling with an unadjusted hazard ratio of 5.27 (95% confidence interval: 2.75-10.10) and a hazard ratio of 4.65 (95% confidence interval: 1.88-11.54) after multivariate adjustment. Among the components of frailty, the most significant association was observed between low physical activity and falls (p < 0.05). In conclusion, frailty is highly prevalent in patients with chronic schizophrenia and is associated with the risk of adverse clinical events. Further studies are needed to explore the mechanisms underlying the relationship between schizophrenia and frailty in an attempt to develop an appropriate treatment plan for improving clinical outcomes for these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Tsun Tsai
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taoyuan Branch, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Shin-Min Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Taoyuan Psychiatric Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsing-Kang Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Yuli Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Bo-Jian Wu
- Department of Psychiatry, Yuli Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Hualien, Taiwan; Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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34
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Effect of master mixes on the measurement of telomere length by qPCR. Mol Biol Rep 2018; 45:633-638. [DOI: 10.1007/s11033-018-4175-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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35
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Epel ES, Prather AA. Stress, Telomeres, and Psychopathology: Toward a Deeper Understanding of a Triad of Early Aging. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 2018; 14:371-397. [PMID: 29494257 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032816-045054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Telomeres play an important part in aging and show relationships to lifetime adversity, particularly childhood adversity. Meta-analyses demonstrate reliable associations between psychopathology (primarily depression) and shorter telomere length, but the nature of this relationship has not been fully understood. Here, we review and evaluate the evidence for impaired telomere biology as a consequence of psychopathology or as a contributing factor, and the important mediating roles of chronic psychological stress and impaired allostasis. There is evidence for a triadic relationship among stress, telomere shortening, and psychiatric disorders that is positively reinforcing and unfolds across the life course and, possibly, across generations. We review the role of genetics and biobehavioral responses that may contribute to shorter telomere length, as well as the neurobiological impact of impaired levels of telomerase. These complex interrelationships are important to elucidate because they have implications for mental and physical comorbidity and, potentially, for the prevention and treatment of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aric A Prather
- Department of Psychiatry; Center for Health and Community; Aging, Metabolism, and Emotions Center; University of California, San Francisco, California 94118, USA; ,
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36
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Nguyen TT, Eyler LT, Jeste DV. Systemic Biomarkers of Accelerated Aging in Schizophrenia: A Critical Review and Future Directions. Schizophr Bull 2018; 44:398-408. [PMID: 29462455 PMCID: PMC5815075 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbx069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia is associated with increased physical morbidity and early mortality, suggesting that the aging process may be accelerated in schizophrenia. However, the biological underpinnings of these alterations in aging in schizophrenia are unclear. METHOD We conducted a detailed search of peer-reviewed empirical studies to evaluate evidence for accelerated biological aging in schizophrenia based on systemic, age-related biomarkers. We included studies that investigated differences between persons with schizophrenia and healthy comparison subjects in levels of biomarkers known to be associated with aging and examined the relationship of these biomarkers to age in the 2 groups. RESULTS Forty-two articles that met our selection criteria were reviewed. Nearly 75% reported abnormal biomarker levels among individuals with schizophrenia, including indices of inflammation, cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, metabolic health, gene expression, and receptor/synaptic function, with medium to large effect sizes reported in many studies. Twenty-nine percent of the studies observed differential age-related decline in schizophrenia. Markers of receptor/synaptic function and gene expression were most frequently differentially related to age in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia patients with greater disease severity and longer illness duration exhibited higher levels of inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers and shorter telomere length. CONCLUSIONS Most studies show biomarker abnormalities in schizophrenia, and there is some suggestion for accelerated aging. Although definitive interpretation is limited by cross-sectional design of the published reports, findings in the area of gene expression and synaptic function are promising and pave the way for future longitudinal studies needed to fully test this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya T Nguyen
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), San Diego, CA,Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA
| | - Lisa T Eyler
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), San Diego, CA,Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA
| | - Dilip V Jeste
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA,Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging, University of California, San Diego, CA,To whom correspondence should be addressed; Estelle and Edgar Levi Chair in Aging, Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive #0664, La Jolla, CA 92093, US; tel: 858-534-4020, fax: 858-543-5475, e-mail:
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37
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Vakonaki E, Tsiminikaki K, Plaitis S, Fragkiadaki P, Tsoukalas D, Katsikantami I, Vaki G, Tzatzarakis MN, Spandidos DA, Tsatsakis AM. Common mental disorders and association with telomere length. Biomed Rep 2018; 8:111-116. [PMID: 29435268 PMCID: PMC5778888 DOI: 10.3892/br.2018.1040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeres are repeated 5′-TTAGGG-3′ sequences at the end of chromosomes, which maintain genomic stability. Their length is related to a number of diseases that affect humans. Apart from cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other, telomere length has been associated with chronic diseases. Chronic mental illness includes various types of mental disorders with the most common being depression, schizophrenia and stress-anxiety. The aim of this review is to summarize the current state of knowledge on the role of telomeres in these disorders and to compare telomere length variations in patients receiving medication and patients not taking treatment. Most studies report reduced telomere length in patients suffering from mental disorders, compared to the general population. Since the factors that can affect telomere length are various, more experiments and investigations are required to understand the general impact of different factors on telomere length.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Vakonaki
- Laboratory of Toxicology Science and Research, Medical School, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - K Tsiminikaki
- Laboratory of Toxicology Science and Research, Medical School, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - S Plaitis
- Laboratory of Toxicology Science and Research, Medical School, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - P Fragkiadaki
- Laboratory of Toxicology Science and Research, Medical School, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - D Tsoukalas
- Laboratory of Toxicology Science and Research, Medical School, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - I Katsikantami
- Laboratory of Toxicology Science and Research, Medical School, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - G Vaki
- Laboratory of Toxicology Science and Research, Medical School, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - M N Tzatzarakis
- Laboratory of Toxicology Science and Research, Medical School, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - D A Spandidos
- Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Medical School, University of Crete, 71409 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - A M Tsatsakis
- Laboratory of Toxicology Science and Research, Medical School, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
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38
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Czepielewski LS, Massuda R, Panizzutti B, Grun LK, Barbé-Tuana FM, Teixeira AL, Barch DM, Gama CS. Telomere Length and CCL11 Levels are Associated With Gray Matter Volume and Episodic Memory Performance in Schizophrenia: Evidence of Pathological Accelerated Aging. Schizophr Bull 2018; 44:158-167. [PMID: 28338779 PMCID: PMC5767949 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbx015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is associated with increased somatic morbidity and mortality, in addition to cognitive impairments similar to those seen in normal aging, which may suggest that pathological accelerated aging occurs in SZ. Therefore, we aim to evaluate the relationships of age, telomere length (TL), and CCL11 (aging and inflammatory biomarkers, respectively), gray matter (GM) volume and episodic memory performance in individuals with SZ compared to healthy controls (HC). One hundred twelve participants (48 SZ and 64 HC) underwent clinical and memory assessments, structural MRI, and had their peripheral blood drawn for biomarkers analysis. Comparisons of group means and correlations were performed. Participants with SZ had decreased TL and GM volume, increased CCL11, and worse memory performance compared to HC. In SZ, shorter TL was related to increased CCL11, and both biomarkers were related to reduced GM volume, all of which were related to worse memory performance. Older age was only associated with reduced GM, but longer duration of illness was related with all the aforementioned variables. Younger age of disease onset was associated with increased CCL11 levels and worse memory performance. In HC, there were no significant correlations except between memory and GM. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis of accelerated aging in SZ. These results may indicate that it is not age itself, but the impact of the disease associated with a pathological accelerated aging that leads to impaired outcomes in SZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leticia Sanguinetti Czepielewski
- Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Raffael Massuda
- Departamento de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Bruna Panizzutti
- Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Lucas Kich Grun
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Florencia María Barbé-Tuana
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Antonio Lucio Teixeira
- Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Investigação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Deanna M Barch
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO,Department of Psychiatry and Radiology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO
| | - Clarissa S Gama
- Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil,To whom correspondence should be addressed; Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre/CPE, Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2350, Prédio Anexo, 90035-903 Porto Alegre, Brazil; tel: +55-51-33598845, fax: +55-51-33598846, e-mail:
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39
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van Mierlo HC, Wichers CGK, He Y, Sneeboer MAM, Radstake TRDJ, Kahn RS, Broen JCA, de Witte LD. Telomere quantification in frontal and temporal brain tissue of patients with schizophrenia. J Psychiatr Res 2017; 95:231-234. [PMID: 28910708 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2017.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Revised: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Recent imaging studies have suggested that accelerated aging occurs in schizophrenia. However, the exact cause of these findings is still unclear. In this study we measured telomere length, a marker for cell senescence, in gray and white matter brain tissue from the medial frontal gyrus (MFG) and superior temporal gyrus (STG) of 9 patients with schizophrenia and 11 controls. No alterations in telomere length were found in MFG gray and white matter and in STG gray matter. A significant reduction in telomere length was observed in STG white matter of patients with schizophrenia as compared to controls (fold change of -0.42, U = 5, P = 0.008). Our results support previous findings that telomere length in gray matter is not affected, whereas they suggest that increased cell senescence may affect white matter temporal brain tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans C van Mierlo
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Catharina G K Wichers
- Laboratory of Translational Immunology, Department of Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Yujie He
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marjolein A M Sneeboer
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Timothy R D J Radstake
- Laboratory of Translational Immunology, Department of Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Department of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - René S Kahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jasper C A Broen
- Laboratory of Translational Immunology, Department of Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Department of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Lot D de Witte
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Galletly C, Dhillon VS, Liu D, Balzan RP, Hahn LA, Fenech MF. Shorter telomere length in people with schizophrenia: A preliminary study from Australia. Schizophr Res 2017; 190:46-51. [PMID: 28285024 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2017.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Revised: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a complex mental illness affecting the normal functioning of the brain, interfering with the ability to think, feel and act. It can be conceptualised as a syndrome of accelerated ageing, with early onset of cardiovascular disease and high rates of premature mortality. Telomere attrition increases with oxidative stress and is considered a biomarker of ageing. Previous studies have assessed abnormalities in telomere length in schizophrenia, but the results are inconsistent. The present study used a case-control design to assess whether people with schizophrenia have shortened telomeres, indicative of accelerated ageing. Subjects were all male, aged 25-35years, living in the same urban region of Adelaide, South Australia. Telomere length was measured using a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. We found significantly shorter telomeres in people with schizophrenia relative to healthy controls. This is the first study to show telomere attrition among people with schizophrenia in Australia. Shorter telomere length may indicate the common pathways that schizophrenia shares with other neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders associated with increased cellular senescence. Further well-controlled larger studies in people with schizophrenia are required to fully understand (i) the role of variables that have the potential to modulate telomere length such as use of antipsychotic drugs, medical conditions, parental age, smoking, alcohol abuse and use of illicit drugs; (ii) effective treatments to slow telomere erosion and (iii) mechanisms responsible for accelerating and reducing telomere damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cherrie Galletly
- Discipline of Psychiatry, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Ramsay Health Care (SA) Mental Health, Australia.
| | - Varinderpal S Dhillon
- Nutrigenomics & DNA Damage Diagnostics, CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Dennis Liu
- Discipline of Psychiatry, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Ryan P Balzan
- School of Psychology, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Lisa A Hahn
- Discipline of Psychiatry, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Ramsay Health Care (SA) Mental Health, Australia
| | - Michael F Fenech
- Nutrigenomics & DNA Damage Diagnostics, CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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Thanseem I, Viswambharan V, Poovathinal SA, Anitha A. Is telomere length a biomarker of neurological disorders? Biomark Med 2017; 11:799-810. [PMID: 30669856 DOI: 10.2217/bmm-2017-0032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomeres are DNA-protein complexes that form protective caps at the termini of chromosomes, maintaining genomic stability. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview on the usefulness of telomere length (TL) as biomarkers of neurological disorders. The implications of TL in relation to cognitive ability, cognitive aging and cognitive decline in neurodegenerative disorders are also briefly discussed. Our review suggests that at present it is difficult to draw a reliable conclusion regarding the contribution of TL to neurological disorders. Further, it needs to be examined whether leukocyte TL, which is generally considered as a surrogate marker of TL in other tissues, serves as an indicator of central nervous system TL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismail Thanseem
- Department of Neurogenetics, Institute for Communicative & Cognitive Neurosciences (ICCONS), Shoranur, Palakkad 679 523, Kerala, India
| | - Vijitha Viswambharan
- Department of Neurogenetics, Institute for Communicative & Cognitive Neurosciences (ICCONS), Shoranur, Palakkad 679 523, Kerala, India
| | - Suresh A Poovathinal
- Department of Neurology, Institute for Communicative & Cognitive Neurosciences (ICCONS), Shoranur, Palakkad 679 523, Kerala, India
| | - Ayyappan Anitha
- Department of Neurogenetics, Institute for Communicative & Cognitive Neurosciences (ICCONS), Shoranur, Palakkad 679 523, Kerala, India
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Nenadić I, Dietzek M, Langbein K, Sauer H, Gaser C. BrainAGE score indicates accelerated brain aging in schizophrenia, but not bipolar disorder. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2017; 266:86-89. [PMID: 28628780 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2017.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BrainAGE (brain age gap estimation) is a novel morphometric parameter providing a univariate score derived from multivariate voxel-wise analyses. It uses a machine learning approach and can be used to analyse deviation from physiological developmental or aging-related trajectories. Using structural MRI data and BrainAGE quantification of acceleration or deceleration of in individual aging, we analysed data from 45 schizophrenia patients, 22 bipolar I disorder patients (mostly with previous psychotic symptoms / episodes), and 70 healthy controls. We found significantly higher BrainAGE scores in schizophrenia, but not bipolar disorder patients. Our findings indicate significantly accelerated brain structural aging in schizophrenia. This suggests, that despite the conceptualisation of schizophrenia as a neurodevelopmental disorder, there might be an additional progressive pathogenic component.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Nenadić
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg & Marburg University Hospital UKGM, Marburg, Germany.
| | - Maren Dietzek
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Kerstin Langbein
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Heinrich Sauer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Christian Gaser
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany; Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
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Li X, Wang J, Zhou J, Huang P, Li J. The association between post-traumatic stress disorder and shorter telomere length: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Affect Disord 2017; 218:322-326. [PMID: 28486180 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.03.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2016] [Revised: 03/19/2017] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common psychiatric disorder, which may accelerate aging. Many study have investigated the association between telomeres length and PTSD, but results from published studies are contradictory. Therefore, Meta-analysis approaches were conducted to give more precise estimate of relationship between telomere length and PTSD. METHOD We systematically reviewed the databases of PUBMED, PsycINFO, Medline(Ovid SP) and EMBASE for all articles on the association between telomere length and PTSD. Data were summarized by using random-effects in the meta-analysis. The heterogeneity among studies were examined by using Cochrane's Q statistic and I-squared. RESULTS Five eligible studies containing 3851 participants were included in our meta-analysis. Shorten telomere length was significantly associated with PTSD with mean difference of -0.19( 95% CI: -0.27, -0.01; P<0.001) with I-square of 96%. The results from subgroup analysis demonstrated that shorter telomere length was significantly associated with PTSD across all gender groups, with mean difference of -0.15( 95% CI: -0.29, -0.01; P=0.04) for female, mean difference of -0.17( 95% CI: -0.19, -0.15; P<0.001) for male. Meanwhile, shorten telomere length was significantly associated with sexual assault(mean difference =-0.15, 95% CI: -0.29, -0.01), childhood trauma (mean difference =-0.08, 95% CI: -0.19, -0.07), but not combat (mean difference =-0.39, 95% CI: -0.83, 0.05). CONCLUSION Compared to the individuals without PTSD, individuals with PTSD have shorter telomere length, which has implications for early intervention and timely treatment to prevent future adverse health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuemei Li
- West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; The First people's Hospital of Neijiang, Neijiang, Sichuan, China
| | - Jiang Wang
- College of Nursing, Jinggangshan University, Jian, China
| | - Jianghua Zhou
- The Center of Gerontology and Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Pan Huang
- West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiping Li
- West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
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Pavlov KI, Mukhin VN, Klimenko VM, Anisimov VN. The telomere-telomerase system and mental processes in aging, norm and pathology (Literature review). ADVANCES IN GERONTOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1134/s2079057017020114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Monroy-Jaramillo N, Rodríguez-Agudelo Y, Aviña-Cervantes LC, Roberts DL, Velligan DI, Walss-Bass C. Leukocyte telomere length in Hispanic schizophrenia patients under treatment with olanzapine. J Psychiatr Res 2017; 90:26-30. [PMID: 28226264 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2017.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Different lines of evidence indicate that patients with schizophrenia (SZ) exhibit accelerated aging. Leukocyte telomere length (TL), an aging marker, is associated with age-related and chronic pathologies, including schizophrenia. We analyzed leukocyte TL in 170 SZ patients of Hispanic ancestry grouped based on antipsychotic treatment, compared to 126 matched controls. The group under treatment with atypical antipsychotics was further subdivided according to the risk of medication to cause metabolic syndrome (MetS). Our results show significant erosion in the TL of SZ patients under treatment with the atypical antipsychotics clozapine and olanzapine, which cause high-risk for MetS, compared to healthy controls and patients under treatment with medium and low-risk antipsychotics. However, when the analysis was done separately for clozapine and olanzapine, a significant difference remained only for olanzapine. These findings suggest that atypical antipsychotics that cause high-risk for MetS, particularly olanzapine, may modulate leukocyte TL in SZ patients. Future research is required to elucidate if in fact atypical antipsychotics are involved in TL maintenance in SZ subjects and the mechanism by which this occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Monroy-Jaramillo
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX, USA; Department of Genetics, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Manuel Velasco Suárez. Insurgentes Sur 3877 Col. La Fama, Tlalpan, C. P. 14269 Mexico city, Mexico.
| | - Yaneth Rodríguez-Agudelo
- Department of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Manuel Velasco Suárez. Insurgentes Sur 3877 Col. La Fama, Tlalpan, C. P. 14269 Mexico city, Mexico.
| | - Luis Carlos Aviña-Cervantes
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Manuel Velasco Suárez. Insurgentes Sur 3877 Col. La Fama, Tlalpan, C. P. 14269 Mexico city, Mexico.
| | - David L Roberts
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Schizophrenia and Related Disorders, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
| | - Dawn I Velligan
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Schizophrenia and Related Disorders, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
| | - Consuelo Walss-Bass
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX, USA.
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Aberrant telomere length and mitochondrial DNA copy number in suicide completers. Sci Rep 2017; 7:3176. [PMID: 28600518 PMCID: PMC5466636 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03599-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Short telomere length (TL) occurs in individuals under psychological stress, and with various psychiatric diseases. Recent studies have also reported mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) alterations under several neuropsychiatric conditions. However, no study has examined whether aberrant TL or mtDNAcn occur in completed suicide, one of the most serious outcomes of mental illnesses. TL and mtDNAcn in post-mortem samples from 528 suicide completers without severe physical illness (508 peripheral bloods; 20 brains) and 560 samples from control subjects (peripheral bloods from 535 healthy individuals; 25 post-mortem brains) were analysed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Suicide completers had significantly shorter TL and higher mtDNAcn of peripheral bloods with sex/age-dependent differences (shorter TL was more remarkably in female/young suicides; higher mtDNAcn more so in male/elderly suicides). The normal age-related decline of TL and mtDNAcn were significantly altered in suicide completers. Furthermore, shorter TL and lower mtDNAcn of post-mortem prefrontal cortex were seen in suicide completers compared to controls. This study shows the first association of aberrant telomeres and mtDNA content with suicide completion. Our results indicate that further research on telomere shortening and mitochondrial dysfunction may help elucidate the molecular underpinnings of suicide-related pathophysiology.
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Cui Y, Prabhu VV, Nguyen TB, Devi SM, Chung YC. Longer Telomere Length of T lymphocytes in Patients with Early and Chronic Psychosis. CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE 2017; 15:146-152. [PMID: 28449562 PMCID: PMC5426489 DOI: 10.9758/cpn.2017.15.2.146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Revised: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Objective To investigate pathological conditions that act as sources of pro-inflammatory cytokines and cytotoxic substances to examine telomere length (TL) in patients with either early (duration of illness [DI] ≤5 years) or chronic (DI >5 years) psychosis using T lymphocytes. Methods Based on these factors and the important role that T lymphocytes play in inflammation, the present study measured the TL of T lymphocytes in patients with either early or chronic psychosis. Additionally, smoking, metabolic syndrome, depression, and cognitive functioning were assessed to control for confounding effects. Results TL was significantly longer in patients with early and chronic psychosis than in healthy control subjects and, moreover, the significance of these findings remained after controlling for age, smoking, metabolic syndrome, DI, chlorpromazine-equivalent dose, and cognitive functioning (F=9.57, degree of freedom=2, p<0.001). Additionally, the DI, chlorpromazine-equivalent doses, and the five-factor scores of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale were not significantly correlated with the TL of T lymphocytes in either all patients or each psychosis group. Conclusion Possible mechanisms underlying the effects of antipsychotic medications on telomerase are discussed in the present study, but further studies measuring both telomerase activity and TL using a prospective design will be required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Cui
- Department of Psychiatry, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.,Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Chonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
| | - Vishwanath Vasudev Prabhu
- Department of Psychiatry, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.,Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Chonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
| | - Thong Ba Nguyen
- Department of Psychiatry, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.,Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Chonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
| | - Subramaniam Mohana Devi
- Department of Psychiatry, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.,Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Chonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
| | - Young-Chul Chung
- Department of Psychiatry, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.,Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Chonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
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Wolkowitz OM, Jeste DV, Martin AS, Lin J, Daly RE, Reuter C, Kraemer H. Leukocyte telomere length: Effects of schizophrenia, age, and gender. J Psychiatr Res 2017; 85:42-48. [PMID: 27835738 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2016.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Revised: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia is linked with early medical comorbidity and mortality. These observations indicate possible "accelerated biological aging" in schizophrenia, although prior findings are mixed, and few such studies have examined the role of gender. One putative marker of biological aging is leukocyte telomere length (LTL), which typically shortens with age. METHODS We assessed LTL in phenotypically well characterized 134 individuals with schizophrenia (60 women and 74 men) and 123 healthy comparison subjects (HCs) (66 women and 57 men), aged 26 to 65 years. RESULTS Overall, LTL was inversely associated with age (t(249) = -6.2, p < 0.001), and a gender effect on the rate of LTL decrease with age was found (t(249) = 2.20, p = 0.029), with men declining more rapidly than women. No significant overall effect of diagnosis on the rate of decline was detected. However, at the average sample age (48 years), there was a significant gender effect in both schizophrenia and HC groups (t(249) = 2.48, p = 0.014), with women having longer LTL than men, and a significant gender X diagnosis effect (t(249) = 2.43, p = 0.016) - at the average sample age, women with schizophrenia had shorter LTL than HC women. DISCUSSION Gender, not the diagnosis of schizophrenia, was the major factor involved with LTL shortening across the age range studied. We discuss the constraints of a cross-sectional design and other methodological issues, and indicate future directions. Understanding the impact of schizophrenia on biological aging will require separate evaluations in men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owen M Wolkowitz
- University of California San Francisco School of Medicine (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Dilip V Jeste
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA; Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA; Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, 92093-0738, USA.
| | - Averria Sirkin Martin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA; Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, 92093-0738, USA
| | - Jue Lin
- University of California San Francisco School of Medicine (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca E Daly
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA; Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, 92093-0738, USA
| | - Chase Reuter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA; Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, 92093-0738, USA
| | - Helena Kraemer
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
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Malouff JM, Schutte NS. A meta-analysis of the relationship between anxiety and telomere length. ANXIETY STRESS AND COPING 2016; 30:264-272. [PMID: 27844481 DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2016.1261286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes, and shorter telomeres are associated with poor physical health. The present study set out to consolidate the varying effect sizes found so far in studies of anxiety and telomere length. DESIGN AND METHODS A meta-analytic investigation of the relationship between anxiety and telomere length used information from 17 different samples comprising a total of 19,424 participants. RESULTS The results showed a small but significant association, r = -.06, between higher anxiety and shorter telomeres. Studies comparing individuals diagnosed with an anxiety disorder with other individuals had a significant effect size, and studies that did not use this comparison threshold did not have a significant effect size. CONCLUSIONS Anxiety is associated with an important biomarker related to health. Future experimental studies that examine the impact of interventions intended to reduce anxiety in conjunction with measurement of telomere length can further clarify the impact of anxiety on telomere length.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M Malouff
- a Department of Psychology , University of New England , Armidale , Australia
| | - Nicola S Schutte
- a Department of Psychology , University of New England , Armidale , Australia
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Schutte NS, Palanisamy SKA, McFarlane JR. The relationship between positive psychological characteristics and longer telomeres. Psychol Health 2016; 31:1466-1480. [PMID: 27616348 DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2016.1226308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Longer telomeres are associated with better health and longevity. This research investigated the relationship between positive psychological dispositional traits and telomere length. Positive traits examined were typical high positive affect, typical low negative affect, life satisfaction, trait mindfulness, trait emotional intelligence, general self-efficacy and optimism. DESIGN AND MEASURES One hundred and twenty women and men, with a mean age of 40.92, completed measures of positive characteristics and provided samples for telomere length analysis. RESULTS Together the positive dispositional characteristics explained significant variance in telomere length, R = .40. Among the individual characteristics, greater optimism and higher emotional intelligence were associated with longer telomeres after adjustment for age and gender and the association between optimism and telomere length remained significant after adjusting for age and gender as well as the other positive characteristics, with a partial correlation r of .30. CONCLUSION These results in conjunction with previous research findings provide a platform for further exploration of biological pathways connecting positive characteristics such as optimism to telomere length and investigation of the impact of increasing a characteristic such as optimism on telomere functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Suresh K A Palanisamy
- b Centre for Bioactive Discovery in Health and Ageing, School of Science and Technology , University of New England , Armidale , Australia
| | - James R McFarlane
- b Centre for Bioactive Discovery in Health and Ageing, School of Science and Technology , University of New England , Armidale , Australia
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