Genetic association of rs1344706 in ZNF804A with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia susceptibility in Chinese populations

A preliminary metabolomics study of the database for biological samples of schizophrenia among Chinese ethnic minorities

BACKGROUND

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a profound mental disorder with a multifactorial etiology, including genetics, environmental factors, and demographic influences such as ethnicity and geography. Among these, the studies of SCZ also shows racial and regional differences.

METHODS

We first established a database of biological samples for SCZ in China's ethnic minorities, followed by a serum metabolomic analysis of SCZ patients from various ethnic groups within the same region using the LC-HRMS platform.

RESULTS

Analysis identified 47 metabolites associated with SCZ, with 46 showing significant differences between Miao and Han SCZ patients. These metabolites, primarily fatty acids, amino acids, benzene, and derivatives, are involved in fatty acid metabolism pathways. Notably, L-Carnitine, L-Cystine, Aspartylphenylalanine, and Methionine sulfoxide demonstrated greater diagnostic efficacy in Miao SCZ patients compared to Han SCZ patients.

CONCLUSION

Preliminary findings suggest that there are differences in metabolic levels among SCZ patients of different ethnicities in the same region, offering insights for developing objective diagnostic or therapeutic monitoring strategies that incorporate ethnic considerations of SCZ.

The expression of zinc finger 804a (ZNF804a) and cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) genes is related to the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis

CONTEXT

ZNF804a and CDK1 genes code for proteins involved in inflammatory pathways.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the correlation of ZNF804a and CDK1 expression profiles in RA with the activity and the severity of the disease and to assess their association with inflammatory reactions in the Egyptian RA patients.

METHODS

ZNF804a and CDK1 expression profiles were assessed using quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). Clinical and laboratory parameters were evaluated.

RESULTS

ZNF804a expression was down-regulated by 0.177-fold while CDK1 expression was up-regulated to 3.29-fold in RA patients compared with healthy controls (p < .001). ZNF804a down-regulation was negatively correlated with CRP, RF, disease activity score of 28 joints (DAS) using CRP (DAS-CRP) and TNF-α. CDK1 overexpression was correlated with IFN-1 and ACPA in RA patients.

CONCLUSION

ZNF804a and CDK1 genes are implicated in RA pathogenesis due to their influences on TNF-α and IFN-1 which contribute to inflammation in RA patients.

Glial changes in schizophrenia: Genetic and epigenetic approach

BACKGROUND

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a severe mental illness that affects one percent of the population, affecting how people think, feel, and behave. Evidence suggests glial cell alteration and some researchers have found genetic risk loci and epigenetic marks that may regulate glia-related genes implicated in SCZ.

AIM

The aim of this study is to identify genetic and epigenetic changes that have been reported in glial cells or glial-associated genes in SCZ.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We searched the articles from PubMed, PubMed Central, Medline, Medscape, and Embase databases up to December 2020 to identify relevant peer-reviewed articles in English. The titles and abstracts were screened to eliminate irrelevant citations.

RESULTS

Twenty-four original articles were included in the review. Studies were categorized into the following four thematic via: (1) oligodendrocytes, (2) microglia, (3) astrocytes, and (4) perspectives.

CONCLUSION

This study is the first of its kind to review research on genetic variants and epigenetic modifications associated with glia-related genes implicated in SCZ. Epigenetic evidence is considerably less than genetic evidence in this field. Understanding the pathways of some risk genes and their genetic and epigenetic regulation allows us to understand and find potential targets for future interventions in this mental illness.

Genetic impact of ZNF804A on cognitive function in patients with bipolar I disorder

Our previous genetic study identified a variant rs1344706 in the zinc finger protein 804A (ZNF804A) gene conferring susceptibility to bipolar disorder subtype I (BD-I) in Han Chinese. Literature documented that this variant may affect brain structure and function. As such, we attempted to identify whether the rs1344706 polymorphism influences cognitive function in patients with bipolar disorder I. We recruited 177 patients with bipolar disorder in remission period. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) rs1344706 was genotyped using TaqMan assays. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) analysis showed a significant genotypic effect on RBANS immediate memory (P = 0.002) and total score (P = 0.001). Post hoc analysis showed that the patients with T/T genotype have lower RBANS immediate memory and total scores than those with T/G or G/G genotypes. When the patients were stratified by sex, such significances are only seen in male patients, but not female patients. Our findings suggested a sex-specific effect of ZNF804A rs1344706 polymorphism on cognitive function in patients with bipolar disorder-I.

ZNF804A Gene Variants Have a Cross-diagnostic Influence on Psychosis and Treatment Improvement in Mood Disorders

Objective

Genetic variations in the gene encoding zinc finger protein 804A gene (ZNF804A) have been associated with major depression and bipolar disorder. In this work we focused on the potential influence of ZNF804A variations on the risk of developing specific sub-phenotypes as well as the individual response to available treatments.

Methods

We used two samples of different ethnic origin: a Korean sample, composed by 242 patients diagnosed with major depression and 132 patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder and 326 healthy controls; an Italian sample composed 151 major depression subjects, 189 bipolar disorder subjects and 38 outpatients diagnosed for a primary anxiety disorder.

Results

Our analyses reported an association of rs1344706 with psychotic phenotype in the cross-diagnostic pooled sample (geno p = 4.15 × 10⁻⁴, allelic p = 1.06 × 10⁻⁴). In the cross-diagnosis Italian sample but not in the Korean one, rs7597593 was involved with depressive symptoms improvement after treatment (geno p = 0.025, allelic p = 0.007).

Conclusion

The present study evidenced the role of ZNF804A alterations in symptoms improvement after treatment. Both manic and depressive symptoms seem to be modulated by ZNF804A, though the latter was observed in the bipolar pooled sample only. The role of this factor is likely related to synaptic development and maintenance; however, further analyses will be needed to better understand the molecular mechanics involved with ZNF804A.

Family-based association study of ZNF804A polymorphisms and autism in a Han Chinese population

BACKGROUND

Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with high heritability. Zinc finger protein 804A (ZNF804A) was suggested to play important roles in neurodevelopment. Previous studies indicated that single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1344706 in ZNF804A was strongly associated with schizophrenia and might influence social interaction. Only one study explored the significance of ZNF804A polymorphisms in autism, which discovered that rs7603001 was nominally associated with autism. Moreover, no previous study investigated the association between ZNF804A and autism in a Han Chinese population. Here, we investigated whether these two SNPs (rs1344706 and rs7603001) in ZNF804A contribute to the risk of autism in a Han Chinese population.

METHODS

We performed a family-based association study in 640 Han Chinese autism trios. Sanger sequencing was used for sample genotyping. Then, single marker association analyses were conducted using the family-based association test (FBAT) program.

RESULTS

No significant association was found between the two SNPs (rs1344706 and rs7603001) in ZNF804A and autism (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggested that rs1344706 and rs7603001 in ZNF804A might not be associated with autism in a Han Chinese population.

Data on association of the variation (rs1344706) in the ZNF804A gene with schizophrenia and its symptoms in the Russian population

The polymorphism rs1344706 in the ZNF804A gene is one of the best-supported risk variants for schizophrenia. The association between ZNF804A rs1344706 and the disease was demonstrated in many studies but only few of them investigated large samples (above 2000 patients and controls). Data presented show the genotypic distribution of ZNF804A rs1344706 in 1265 patients with schizophrenia and 1051 healthy controls from the Russian population. Statistical analysis confirmed the association between rs1344706 and schizophrenia (p = 0.034). The frequency of the risk genotype AA was significantly higher in the group of patients compared to that in controls. In addition, the article provides the data on the severity of schizophrenia symptoms measured with the Positive and Negative Syndrome scale (PANSS) in 951 patients. The severity of symptoms was significantly higher in the carriers of the risk genotype AA compared to the AC genotype and the CC genotype.

ZNF804A Variation May Affect Hippocampal-Prefrontal Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Schizophrenic and Healthy Individuals

The ZNF804A variant rs1344706 has consistently been associated with schizophrenia and plays a role in hippocampal-prefrontal functional connectivity during working memory. Whether the effect exists in the resting state and in patients with schizophrenia remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the ZNF804A polymorphism at rs1344706 in 92 schizophrenic patients and 99 healthy controls of Han Chinese descent, and used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore the functional connectivity in the participants. We found a significant main effect of genotype on the resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) between the hippocampus and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in both schizophrenic patients and healthy controls. The homozygous ZNF804A rs1344706 genotype (AA) conferred a high risk of schizophrenia, and also exhibited significantly decreased resting functional coupling between the left hippocampus and right DLPFC (F(2,165) = 13.43, P < 0.001). The RSFC strength was also correlated with cognitive performance and the severity of psychosis in schizophrenia. The current findings identified the neural impact of the ZNF804A rs1344706 on hippocampal-prefrontal RSFC associated with schizophrenia.

The role of COMT gene Val108/158Met polymorphism in suicidal behavior: systematic review and updated meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

It is accepted that there is a genetic factor that influences the risk of suicidal behavior. The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene, especially the Val108/158Met polymorphism, has been associated with suicide; however, no conclusive outcome has been attained. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the role of COMT Val108/158Met in suicidal behavior throughout an updated meta-analysis.

METHODS

We performed an online search using PubMed and Web of Science (up to March 2017). Our systematic review included case-control studies of individuals who attempted suicide and completed suicide. We tested allelic, homozygous, heterozygous, dominant, and recessive inheritance models. The meta-analysis was performed in accordance with the statement of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.

RESULTS

The meta-analysis comprised 17 studies, which included 3,282 cases and 3,774 controls, and showed that when evaluating the overall population, the Val108/158Met polymorphism of COMT was not associated with suicidal behavior in any of the inheritance models; however, the subanalyses showed that this polymorphism exhibits a risk factor in males and a protective effect in females. Additionally, it conveyed a risk factor in Asian populations when using the allelic (OR 1.25; CI: 1.04-1.51) and recessive models (OR 1.32; CI: 1.03-1.68).

CONCLUSION

Our updated meta-analysis suggests a possible association between COMT Val108/158Met and suicidal behavior in Asian populations. However, in view of the small number of studies, these results should be considered exploratory. We recommend that more studies be performed with larger samples.

The genome-wide associated candidate gene ZNF804A and psychosis-proneness: Evidence of sex-modulated association

BACKGROUND

The Zinc finger protein 804A (ZNF804A) is a promising candidate gene for schizophrenia and the broader psychosis phenotype that emerged from genome-wide association studies. It is related to neurodevelopment and associated to severe symptoms of schizophrenia and alterations in brain structure, as well as positive schizotypal personality traits in non-clinical samples. Moreover, a female-specific association has been observed between ZNF804A and schizophrenia.

AIM

The present study examined the association of two ZNF804A polymorphisms (rs1344706 and rs7597593) with the positive dimension of schizotypy and psychotic-like experiences in a sample of 808 non-clinical subjects. Additionally, we wanted to explore whether the sexual differences reported in schizophrenia are also present in psychosis-proneness.

RESULTS

Our results showed an association between rs7597593 and both schizotypy and psychotic-like experiences. These associations were driven by females, such those carrying the C allele had higher scores in the positive dimension of both variables compared to TT allele homozygotes.

CONCLUSION

The findings of the present study support the inclusion of ZNF804 variability in studies of the vulnerability for the development of psychopathology in non-clinical samples and consideration of sex as a moderator of this association.