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Macías M, Acha B, Corroza J, Urdánoz-Casado A, Roldan M, Robles M, Sánchez-Ruiz de Gordoa J, Erro ME, Jericó I, Blanco-Luquin I, Mendioroz M. Liquid Biopsy in Alzheimer's Disease Patients Reveals Epigenetic Changes in the PRLHR Gene. Cells 2023; 12:2679. [PMID: 38067107 PMCID: PMC10705731 DOI: 10.3390/cells12232679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, new DNA methylation variants have been reported in genes biologically relevant to Alzheimer's disease (AD) in human brain tissue. However, this AD-specific epigenetic information remains brain-locked and unreachable during patients' lifetimes. In a previous methylome performed in the hippocampus of 26 AD patients and 12 controls, we found higher methylation levels in AD patients in the promoter region of PRLHR, a gene involved in energy balance regulation. Our aim was to further characterize PRLHR's role in AD and to evaluate if the liquid biopsy technique would provide life access to this brain information in a non-invasive way. First, we extended the methylation mapping of PRLHR and validated previous methylome results via bisulfite cloning sequencing. Next, we observed a positive correlation between PRLHR methylation levels and AD-related neuropathological changes and a decreased expression of PRLHR in AD hippocampus. Then, we managed to replicate the hippocampal methylation differences in plasma cfDNA from an additional cohort of 35 AD patients and 35 controls. The isolation of cfDNA from the plasma of AD patients may constitute a source of potential epigenetic biomarkers to aid AD clinical management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Macías
- Navarrabiomed, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Universidad Pública de Navarra, IdiSNA, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (M.M.); (B.A.); (A.U.-C.); (M.R.); (M.R.); (J.S.-R.d.G.); (M.E.E.); (I.B.-L.)
| | - Blanca Acha
- Navarrabiomed, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Universidad Pública de Navarra, IdiSNA, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (M.M.); (B.A.); (A.U.-C.); (M.R.); (M.R.); (J.S.-R.d.G.); (M.E.E.); (I.B.-L.)
| | - Jon Corroza
- Neurology Department, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, IdiSNA, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (J.C.); (I.J.)
| | - Amaya Urdánoz-Casado
- Navarrabiomed, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Universidad Pública de Navarra, IdiSNA, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (M.M.); (B.A.); (A.U.-C.); (M.R.); (M.R.); (J.S.-R.d.G.); (M.E.E.); (I.B.-L.)
| | - Miren Roldan
- Navarrabiomed, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Universidad Pública de Navarra, IdiSNA, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (M.M.); (B.A.); (A.U.-C.); (M.R.); (M.R.); (J.S.-R.d.G.); (M.E.E.); (I.B.-L.)
| | - Maitane Robles
- Navarrabiomed, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Universidad Pública de Navarra, IdiSNA, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (M.M.); (B.A.); (A.U.-C.); (M.R.); (M.R.); (J.S.-R.d.G.); (M.E.E.); (I.B.-L.)
| | - Javier Sánchez-Ruiz de Gordoa
- Navarrabiomed, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Universidad Pública de Navarra, IdiSNA, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (M.M.); (B.A.); (A.U.-C.); (M.R.); (M.R.); (J.S.-R.d.G.); (M.E.E.); (I.B.-L.)
- Neurology Department, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, IdiSNA, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (J.C.); (I.J.)
| | - María Elena Erro
- Navarrabiomed, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Universidad Pública de Navarra, IdiSNA, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (M.M.); (B.A.); (A.U.-C.); (M.R.); (M.R.); (J.S.-R.d.G.); (M.E.E.); (I.B.-L.)
- Neurology Department, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, IdiSNA, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (J.C.); (I.J.)
| | - Ivonne Jericó
- Neurology Department, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, IdiSNA, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (J.C.); (I.J.)
| | - Idoia Blanco-Luquin
- Navarrabiomed, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Universidad Pública de Navarra, IdiSNA, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (M.M.); (B.A.); (A.U.-C.); (M.R.); (M.R.); (J.S.-R.d.G.); (M.E.E.); (I.B.-L.)
| | - Maite Mendioroz
- Navarrabiomed, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Universidad Pública de Navarra, IdiSNA, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (M.M.); (B.A.); (A.U.-C.); (M.R.); (M.R.); (J.S.-R.d.G.); (M.E.E.); (I.B.-L.)
- Neurology Department, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, IdiSNA, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (J.C.); (I.J.)
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Gaitsch H, Franklin RJM, Reich DS. Cell-free DNA-based liquid biopsies in neurology. Brain 2023; 146:1758-1774. [PMID: 36408894 PMCID: PMC10151188 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
This article reviews recent developments in the application of cell-free DNA-based liquid biopsies to neurological diseases. Over the past few decades, an explosion of interest in the use of accessible biofluids to identify and track molecular disease has revolutionized the fields of oncology, prenatal medicine and others. More recently, technological advances in signal detection have allowed for informative analysis of biofluids that are typically sparse in cells and other circulating components, such as CSF. In parallel, advancements in epigenetic profiling have allowed for novel applications of liquid biopsies to diseases without characteristic mutational profiles, including many degenerative, autoimmune, inflammatory, ischaemic and infectious disorders. These events have paved the way for a wide array of neurological conditions to benefit from enhanced diagnostic, prognostic, and treatment abilities through the use of liquid biomarkers: a 'liquid biopsy' approach. This review includes an overview of types of liquid biopsy targets with a focus on circulating cell-free DNA, methods used to identify and probe potential liquid biomarkers, and recent applications of such biomarkers to a variety of complex neurological conditions including CNS tumours, stroke, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and neuroinfectious disease. Finally, the challenges of translating liquid biopsies to use in clinical neurology settings-and the opportunities for improvement in disease management that such translation may provide-are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hallie Gaitsch
- NIH-Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program, Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UK
| | | | - Daniel S Reich
- Translational Neuroradiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Xu X, Elkenani M, Tan X, Hain JK, Cui B, Schnelle M, Hasenfuss G, Toischer K, Mohamed BA. DNA Methylation Analysis Identifies Novel Epigenetic Loci in Dilated Murine Heart upon Exposure to Volume Overload. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065885. [PMID: 36982963 PMCID: PMC10059258 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Left ventricular (LV) dilatation, a prominent risk factor for heart failure (HF), precedes functional deterioration and is used to stratify patients at risk for arrhythmias and cardiac mortality. Aberrant DNA methylation contributes to maladaptive cardiac remodeling and HF progression following pressure overload and ischemic cardiac insults. However, no study has examined cardiac DNA methylation upon exposure to volume overload (VO) despite being relatively common among HF patients. We carried out global methylome analysis of LV harvested at a decompensated HF stage following exposure to VO induced by aortocaval shunt. VO resulted in pathological cardiac remodeling, characterized by massive LV dilatation and contractile dysfunction at 16 weeks after shunt. Although methylated DNA was not markedly altered globally, 25 differentially methylated promoter regions (DMRs) were identified in shunt vs. sham hearts (20 hypermethylated and 5 hypomethylated regions). The validated hypermethylated loci in Junctophilin-2 (Jph2), Signal peptidase complex subunit 3 (Spcs3), Vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated protein B (Vapb), and Inositol polyphosphate multikinase (Ipmk) were associated with the respective downregulated expression and were consistently observed in dilated LV early after shunt at 1 week after shunt, before functional deterioration starts to manifest. These hypermethylated loci were also detected peripherally in the blood of the shunt mice. Altogether, we have identified conserved DMRs that could be novel epigenetic biomarkers in dilated LV upon VO exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingbo Xu
- Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Manar Elkenani
- Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Xiaoying Tan
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Nephrology and Rheumatology, University Medical Center of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jara Katharina Hain
- Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Baolong Cui
- Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Moritz Schnelle
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Gerd Hasenfuss
- Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Karl Toischer
- Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Belal A Mohamed
- Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), 37075 Göttingen, Germany
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Bahado-Singh RO, Vishweswaraiah S, Turkoglu O, Graham SF, Radhakrishna U. Alzheimer's Precision Neurology: Epigenetics of Cytochrome P450 Genes in Circulating Cell-Free DNA for Disease Prediction and Mechanism. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032876. [PMID: 36769199 PMCID: PMC9917756 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Precision neurology combines high-throughput technologies and statistical modeling to identify novel disease pathways and predictive biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Brain cytochrome P450 (CYP) genes are major regulators of cholesterol, sex hormone, and xenobiotic metabolism, and they could play important roles in neurodegenerative disorders. Increasing evidence suggests that epigenetic factors contribute to AD development. We evaluated cytosine ('CpG')-based DNA methylation changes in AD using circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA), to which neuronal cells are known to contribute. We investigated CYP-based mechanisms for AD pathogenesis and epigenetic biomarkers for disease detection. We performed a case-control study using 25 patients with AD and 23 cognitively healthy controls using the cfDNA of CYP genes. We performed a logistic regression analysis using the MetaboAnalyst software computer program and a molecular pathway analysis based on epigenetically altered CYP genes using the Cytoscape program. We identified 130 significantly (false discovery rate correction q-value < 0.05) differentially methylated CpG sites within the CYP genes. The top two differentially methylated genes identified were CYP51A1 and CYP2S1. The significant molecular pathways that were perturbed in AD cfDNA were (i) androgen and estrogen biosynthesis and metabolism, (ii) C21 steroid hormone biosynthesis and metabolism, and (iii) arachidonic acid metabolism. Existing evidence suggests a potential role of each of these biochemical pathways in AD pathogenesis. Next, we randomly divided the study group into discovery and validation sub-sets, each consisting of patients with AD and control patients. Regression models for AD prediction based on CYP CpG methylation markers were developed in the discovery or training group and tested in the independent validation group. The CYP biomarkers achieved a high predictive accuracy. After a 10-fold cross-validation, the combination of cg17852385/cg23101118 + cg14355428/cg22536554 achieved an AUC (95% CI) of 0.928 (0.787~1.00), with 100% sensitivity and 92.3% specificity for AD detection in the discovery group. The performance remained high in the independent validation or test group, achieving an AUC (95% CI) of 0.942 (0.905~0.979) with a 90% sensitivity and specificity. Our findings suggest that the epigenetic modification of CYP genes may play an important role in AD pathogenesis and that circulating CYP-based cfDNA biomarkers have the potential to accurately and non-invasively detect AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ray O. Bahado-Singh
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oakland University-William Beaumont School of Medicine, Royal Oak, MI 48309, USA
- Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital, Royal Oak, MI 48073, USA
| | - Sangeetha Vishweswaraiah
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oakland University-William Beaumont School of Medicine, Royal Oak, MI 48309, USA
- Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital, Royal Oak, MI 48073, USA
| | - Onur Turkoglu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oakland University-William Beaumont School of Medicine, Royal Oak, MI 48309, USA
- Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital, Royal Oak, MI 48073, USA
| | - Stewart F. Graham
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oakland University-William Beaumont School of Medicine, Royal Oak, MI 48309, USA
- Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital, Royal Oak, MI 48073, USA
- Correspondence: (S.F.G.); (U.R.)
| | - Uppala Radhakrishna
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oakland University-William Beaumont School of Medicine, Royal Oak, MI 48309, USA
- Correspondence: (S.F.G.); (U.R.)
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Soelter TM, Whitlock JH, Williams AS, Hardigan AA, Lasseigne BN. Nucleic acid liquid biopsies in Alzheimer's disease: current state, challenges, and opportunities. Heliyon 2022; 8:e09239. [PMID: 35469332 PMCID: PMC9034064 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease and affects persons of all races, ethnic groups, and sexes. The disease is characterized by neuronal loss leading to cognitive decline and memory loss. There is no cure and the effectiveness of existing treatments is limited and depends on the time of diagnosis. The long prodromal period, during which patients' ability to live a normal life is not affected despite neuronal loss, often leads to a delayed diagnosis because it can be mistaken for normal aging of the brain. In order to make a substantial impact on AD patient survival, early diagnosis may provide a greater therapeutic window for future therapies to slow AD-associated neurodegeneration. Current gold standards for disease detection include magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography scans, which visualize amyloid β and phosphorylated tau depositions and aggregates. Liquid biopsies, already an active field of research in precision oncology, are hypothesized to provide early disease detection through minimally or non-invasive sample collection techniques. Liquid biopsies in AD have been studied in cerebrospinal fluid, blood, ocular, oral, and olfactory fluids. However, most of the focus has been on blood and cerebrospinal fluid due to biomarker specificity and sensitivity attributed to the effects of the blood-brain barrier and inter-laboratory variation during sample collection. Many studies have identified amyloid β and phosphorylated tau levels as putative biomarkers, however, advances in next-generation sequencing-based liquid biopsy methods have led to significant interest in identifying nucleic acid species associated with AD from liquid tissues. Differences in cell-free RNAs and DNAs have been described as potential biomarkers for AD and hold the potential to affect disease diagnosis, treatment, and future research avenues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tabea M. Soelter
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Jordan H. Whitlock
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Avery S. Williams
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Andrew A. Hardigan
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Brittany N. Lasseigne
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, USA
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Maronek M, Gardlik R. The Citrullination-Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Axis in Chronic Diseases. J Innate Immun 2022; 14:393-417. [PMID: 35263752 PMCID: PMC9485962 DOI: 10.1159/000522331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Citrullination of proteins is crucial for the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) − strands of nuclear DNA expulsed in the extracellular environment along with antimicrobial proteins in order to halt the spread of pathogens. Paradoxically, NETs may be immunogenic and contribute to inflammation. It is known that for the externalization of DNA, a group of enzymes called peptidyl arginine deiminases (PADs) is required. Current research often looks at citrullination, NET formation, PAD overexpression, and extracellular DNA (ecDNA) accumulation in chronic diseases as separate events. In contrast, we propose that citrullination can be viewed as the primary mechanism of autoimmunity, for instance by the formation of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs) but also as a process contributing to chronic inflammation. Therefore, citrullination could be at the center, connecting and impacting multiple inflammatory diseases in which ACPAs, NETs, or ecDNA have already been documented. In this review, we aimed to highlight the importance of citrullination in the etiopathogenesis of a number of chronic diseases and to explore the diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic potential of the citrullination-NET axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Maronek
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Roman Gardlik
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Nidadavolu LS, Feger D, Wu Y, Grodstein F, Gross AL, Bennett DA, Walston JD, Oh ES, Abadir PM. Circulating Cell-Free Genomic DNA Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Dementia and with Change in Cognitive and Physical Function. J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 89:1233-1240. [PMID: 36031893 PMCID: PMC9969834 DOI: 10.3233/jad-220301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Altered cell homeostasis, seen in cognitive decline and frailty, leads to cell death and turnover, releasing circulating cell-free DNA (ccf-DNA). OBJECTIVE The goal of this study is to determine if serum genomic cell-free DNA (ccf-gDNA) is associated with physical and cognitive decline in older adults. METHODS We used serum from 631 community-dwelling individuals from the Religious Orders Study or Rush Memory and Aging Project who were without cognitive impairment at baseline. ccf-gDNA fragments in serum were quantified using digital PCR. An array of cognitive and physical traits, risk of dementia, global cognition, and frailty at or nearest the time of blood draw were regressed on ccf-DNA, with adjustment for age, sex, race, and education. RESULTS Cross-sectionally, higher ccf-gDNA levels were associated with lower global cognition score and slower gait speed at the evaluation nearest to blood draw. Higher ccf-gDNA levels were associated with increased odds of incident dementia (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.05, 1.54). Longitudinally, higher levels of ccf-gDNA were associated with steeper general cognitive decline and worsening frailty over eight years of follow up. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that ccf-gDNA fragments have utility for identifying persons at higher risk of developing dementia and worsening cognition and frailty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lolita S. Nidadavolu
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Danielle Feger
- Johns Hopkins University Center on Aging and Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yuqiong Wu
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Francine Grodstein
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Alden L. Gross
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins University Center on Aging and Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - David A. Bennett
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jeremy D. Walston
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Esther S. Oh
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Peter M. Abadir
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Lund RJ, Kyläniemi M, Pettersson N, Kaukonen R, Konki M, Scheinin NM, Karlsson L, Karlsson H, Ekholm E. Placental DNA methylation marks are associated with maternal depressive symptoms during early pregnancy. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100374. [PMID: 34401410 PMCID: PMC8353413 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy are a significant risk factor for adverse developmental and health outcomes of the offspring. The molecular mechanisms mediating the long-term effects of this exposure are not well understood. Previous studies have found association between prenatal exposure to maternal psychological distress and placental DNA methylation of candidate genes, which can influence placental barrier function and development of the fetus. Our objective in this study was to determine epigenome wide association of maternal depressive symptoms in early pregnancy with the placental DNA methylation. For this purpose we examined DNA methylomes of 92 placental samples by using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing. The placental samples were collected after deliveries of 39 girls and 59 boys, whose mothers had Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Score ranging from 0 to 19 at gestational week 14. According to our results maternal depressive symptoms are associated with DNA methylation of 2833 CpG sites, which are particularly over-represented in genic enhancers. The genes overlapping or nearest to these sites are functionally enriched for development of neurons and show expression enrichment in several regions of developing brain. The genomic regions harboring the DNA methylation marks are enriched for single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with mental disease trait class. Potential cellular signaling cascades mediating the effects include inflammatory and hormonal pathways. As a conclusion our results suggest that maternal depressive symptoms during early pregnancy are associated with DNA methylation marks in placenta in genes, which are important for the development and long-term health of the brain. Whether similar marks can be detected in exposed children remains to be elucidated in further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riikka J. Lund
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Minna Kyläniemi
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Nina Pettersson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Turku University Central Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Riina Kaukonen
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Mikko Konki
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Noora M. Scheinin
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry and Turku Brain and Mind Centre, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Linnea Karlsson
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Turku, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Hasse Karlsson
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry and Turku Brain and Mind Centre, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Eeva Ekholm
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Turku University Central Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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