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Wootton O, Shadrin AA, Bjella T, Smeland OB, van der Meer D, Frei O, O'Connell KS, Ueland T, Andreassen OA, Stein DJ, Dalvie S. Genomic insights into the shared and distinct genetic architecture of cognitive function and schizophrenia. Sci Rep 2024; 14:15356. [PMID: 38961113 PMCID: PMC11222449 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66085-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Cognitive impairment is a major determinant of functional outcomes in schizophrenia, however, understanding of the biological mechanisms underpinning cognitive dysfunction in the disorder remains incomplete. Here, we apply Genomic Structural Equation Modelling to identify latent cognitive factors capturing genetic liabilities to 12 cognitive traits measured in the UK Biobank. We identified three broad factors that underly the genetic correlations between the cognitive tests. We explore the overlap between latent cognitive factors, schizophrenia, and schizophrenia symptom dimensions using a complementary set of statistical approaches, applied to data from the latest schizophrenia genome-wide association study (Ncase = 53,386, Ncontrol = 77,258) and the Thematically Organised Psychosis study (Ncase = 306, Ncontrol = 1060). Global genetic correlations showed a significant moderate negative genetic correlation between each cognitive factor and schizophrenia. Local genetic correlations implicated unique genomic regions underlying the overlap between schizophrenia and each cognitive factor. We found substantial polygenic overlap between each cognitive factor and schizophrenia and biological annotation of the shared loci implicated gene-sets related to neurodevelopment and neuronal function. Lastly, we show that the common genetic determinants of the latent cognitive factors are not predictive of schizophrenia symptoms in the Norwegian Thematically Organized Psychosis cohort. Overall, these findings inform our understanding of cognitive function in schizophrenia by demonstrating important differences in the shared genetic architecture of schizophrenia and cognitive abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Wootton
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Alexey A Shadrin
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Thomas Bjella
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Olav B Smeland
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Dennis van der Meer
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Oleksandr Frei
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Center for Bioinformatics, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Blindern, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kevin S O'Connell
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Torill Ueland
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Dan J Stein
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- SAMRC Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Shareefa Dalvie
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Gangadin SS, Enthoven AD, van Beveren NJM, Laman JD, Sommer IEC. Immune Dysfunction in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 2024; 20:229-257. [PMID: 38996077 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-081122-013201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/14/2024]
Abstract
Evidence from epidemiological, clinical, and biological research resulted in the immune hypothesis: the hypothesis that immune system dysfunction is involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD). The promising implication of this hypothesis is the potential to use existing immunomodulatory treatment for innovative interventions for SSD. Here, we provide a selective historical review of important discoveries that have shaped our understanding of immune dysfunction in SSD. We first explain the basic principles of immune dysfunction, after which we travel more than a century back in time. Starting our journey with neurosyphilis-associated psychosis in the nineteenth century, we continue by evaluating the role of infections and autoimmunity in SSD and findings from assessment of immune function using new techniques, such as cytokine levels, microglia density, neuroimaging, and gene expression. Drawing from these findings, we discuss anti-inflammatory interventions for SSD, and we conclude with a look into the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- S S Gangadin
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands;
| | - A D Enthoven
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands;
| | - N J M van Beveren
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Parnassia Group for Mental Health Care, The Hague and Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J D Laman
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - I E C Sommer
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands;
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3
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Iglesias-Martínez-Almeida M, Campos-Ríos A, Freiría-Martínez L, Rivera-Baltanás T, Rodrígues-Amorím D, Diz-Chaves Y, Comis-Tuche M, Fernández-Palleiro P, Rodríguez-Jamardo C, Ramos-García S, Rodríguez-Tébar A, Del Carmen Vallejo-Curto M, Campos-Pérez JA, López-García M, de Las Heras E, García-Caballero A, Olivares JM, Lamas JA, Spuch C. Characterization and modulation of voltage-gated potassium channels in human lymphocytes in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2024; 270:260-272. [PMID: 38944972 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.06.034] [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] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is known that the immune system is dysregulated in schizophrenia, having a state similar to chronic neuroinflammation. The origin of this process is unknown, but it is known that T and B lymphocytes, which are components of the adaptive immune system, play an important role in the pathogenic mechanisms of schizophrenia. METHODS We analysed the membrane of PBMCs from patients diagnosed with schizophrenia through proteomic analysis (n = 5 schizophrenia and n = 5 control). We found the presence of the Kv1.3 voltage-gated potassium channel and its auxiliary subunit β1 (KCNAB1) and β2 (KCNAB2). From a sample of 90 participants, we carried out a study on lymphocytes with whole-cell patch-clamp experiments (n = 7 schizophrenia and n = 5 control), western blot (n = 40 schizophrenia and n = 40 control) and confocal microscopy to evaluate the presence and function of different channels. Kv in both cells. RESULTS We demonstrated the overexpression of Kv1.1, Kv1.2, Kv1.3, Kv1.6, Kv4.2, Kv4.3 and Kv7.2 channels in PBMCs from patients with schizophrenia. This study represents a groundbreaking exploration, as it involves an electrophysiological analysis performed on T and B lymphocytes from patients diagnosed of schizophrenia compared to healthy participants. We observed that B lymphocytes exhibited an increase in output current along with greater peak current amplitude and voltage conductance curves among patients with schizophrenia compared with healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS This study showed the importance of the B lymphocyte in schizophrenia. We know that the immune system is altered in schizophrenia, but the physiological mechanisms of this system are not very well known. We suggest that the B lymphocyte may be relevant in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and that it should be investigated in more depth, opening a new field of knowledge and possibilities for new treatments combining antipsychotics and immunomodulators. The limitation is that all participants received antipsychotic medication, which may have influenced the differences observed between patients and controls. This implies that more studies need to be done where the groups can be separated according to the antipsychotic drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Iglesias-Martínez-Almeida
- Translational Neuroscience Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, Vigo, Spain; University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | - Ana Campos-Ríos
- Laboratory of neuroscience, University of Vigo, Department of Functional Biology and Health Sciences, Vigo, Spain; Laboratory of Neuroscience, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IISGS), SERGAS-UVIGO, Vigo, Spain
| | - Luis Freiría-Martínez
- Translational Neuroscience Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, Vigo, Spain; University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | - Tania Rivera-Baltanás
- Translational Neuroscience Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, Vigo, Spain; University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain; CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniela Rodrígues-Amorím
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | | | - María Comis-Tuche
- Translational Neuroscience Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, Vigo, Spain
| | - Patricia Fernández-Palleiro
- Translational Neuroscience Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, Vigo, Spain
| | - Cynthia Rodríguez-Jamardo
- Translational Neuroscience Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, Vigo, Spain; University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | - Silvia Ramos-García
- Translational Neuroscience Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, Vigo, Spain
| | | | | | - Jose Antonio Campos-Pérez
- Translational Neuroscience Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, Vigo, Spain
| | - Marta López-García
- Translational Neuroscience Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, Vigo, Spain
| | - Elena de Las Heras
- Translational Neuroscience Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, Vigo, Spain
| | - Alejandro García-Caballero
- Translational Neuroscience Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, Vigo, Spain
| | - Jose M Olivares
- Translational Neuroscience Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, Vigo, Spain; CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose A Lamas
- Laboratory of neuroscience, University of Vigo, Department of Functional Biology and Health Sciences, Vigo, Spain; Laboratory of Neuroscience, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IISGS), SERGAS-UVIGO, Vigo, Spain
| | - Carlos Spuch
- Translational Neuroscience Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, Vigo, Spain; CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain.
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Chen P, Yang HD, Wang JJ, Zhu ZH, Zhao HM, Yin XY, Cai Y, Zhu HL, Fu JL, Zhang XZ, Sun WX, Hui L, Zhang XB. Association of serum interleukin-6 with negative symptoms in stable early-onset schizophrenia. World J Psychiatry 2024; 14:794-803. [PMID: 38984340 PMCID: PMC11230098 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v14.i6.794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accumulating evidence suggests that the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) contributes to the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. However, there was no study concerning the relationship between IL-6 concentrations and clinical features in the chronic phase of early-onset schizophrenia (EOS). AIM To investigate the relationship between serum IL-6 concentration and the clinical features of EOS. METHODS We measured serum IL-6 Levels from 74 patients with chronic schizophrenia, including 33 with age at onset < 21 years (EOS group) and 41 with onset ≥ 21 years in [adult-onset schizophrenia (AOS) group], and from 41 healthy controls. Symptom severities were evaluated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). RESULTS Serum IL-6 concentrations were higher in both EOS and AOS groups than healthy controls (F = 22.32, P < 0.01), but did not differ significantly between EOS and AOS groups (P > 0.05) after controlling for age, body mass index, and other covariates. Negative symptom scores were higher in the EOS group than the AOS group (F = 6.199, P = 0.015). Serum IL-6 concentrations in the EOS group were negatively correlated with both total PANSS-negative symptom score (r = -0.389, P = 0.032) and avolition/asociality subscore (r = -0.387, P = 0.026). CONCLUSION Patients with EOS may have more severe negative symptoms than those with adult-onset schizophrenia during the chronic phase of the illness. IL-6 signaling may regulate negative symptoms and its avolition/asociality subsymptoms among the early-onset chronic schizophrenic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Chen
- Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, Jiangsu Province, China
- Department of Psychiatry, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, Institute of Mental Health, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215137, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Hai-Dong Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Fourth People’s Hospital of Lianyungang, The Affiliated Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang 222003, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jun-Jie Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, Institute of Mental Health, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215137, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zhen-Hua Zhu
- Research Center of Biological Psychiatry, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, Institute of Mental Health, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215137, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Hui-Min Zhao
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou 215002, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xu-Yuan Yin
- Research Center of Biological Psychiatry, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, Institute of Mental Health, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215137, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yuan Cai
- Research Center of Biological Psychiatry, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, Institute of Mental Health, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215137, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Hong-Liang Zhu
- Department of Psychiatry, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, Institute of Mental Health, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215137, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jia-Lin Fu
- Department of Psychiatry, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, Institute of Mental Health, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215137, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xin-Zhu Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, Institute of Mental Health, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215137, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Wen-Xi Sun
- Department of Psychiatry, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, Institute of Mental Health, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215137, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Li Hui
- Research Center of Biological Psychiatry, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, Institute of Mental Health, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215137, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiao-Bin Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, Institute of Mental Health, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215137, Jiangsu Province, China
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5
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Seitz-Holland J, Alemán-Gómez Y, Cho KIK, Pasternak O, Cleusix M, Jenni R, Baumann PS, Klauser P, Conus P, Hagmann P, Do KQ, Kubicki M, Dwir D. Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) activity, hippocampal extracellular free water, and cognitive deficits are associated with each other in early phase psychosis. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:1140-1150. [PMID: 38431757 PMCID: PMC11109110 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01814-5] [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] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Increasing evidence points toward the role of the extracellular matrix, specifically matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), in the pathophysiology of psychosis. MMP-9 is a critical regulator of the crosstalk between peripheral and central inflammation, extracellular matrix remodeling, hippocampal development, synaptic pruning, and neuroplasticity. Here, we aim to characterize the relationship between plasma MMP-9 activity, hippocampal microstructure, and cognition in healthy individuals and individuals with early phase psychosis. We collected clinical, blood, and structural and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data from 39 individuals with early phase psychosis and 44 age and sex-matched healthy individuals. We measured MMP-9 plasma activity, hippocampal extracellular free water (FW) levels, and hippocampal volumes. We used regression analyses to compare MMP-9 activity, hippocampal FW, and volumes between groups. We then examined associations between MMP-9 activity, FW levels, hippocampal volumes, and cognitive performance assessed with the MATRICS battery. All analyses were controlled for age, sex, body mass index, cigarette smoking, and years of education. Individuals with early phase psychosis demonstrated higher MMP-9 activity (p < 0.0002), higher left (p < 0.05) and right (p < 0.05) hippocampal FW levels, and lower left (p < 0.05) and right (p < 0.05) hippocampal volume than healthy individuals. MMP-9 activity correlated positively with hippocampal FW levels (all participants and individuals with early phase psychosis) and negatively with hippocampal volumes (all participants and healthy individuals). Higher MMP-9 activity and higher hippocampal FW levels were associated with slower processing speed and worse working memory performance in all participants. Our findings show an association between MMP-9 activity and hippocampal microstructural alterations in psychosis and an association between MMP-9 activity and cognitive performance. Further, more extensive longitudinal studies should examine the therapeutic potential of MMP-9 modulators in psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Seitz-Holland
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Yasser Alemán-Gómez
- Connectomics Lab, Department of Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Medical Image Analysis Laboratory, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kang Ik K Cho
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ofer Pasternak
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Martine Cleusix
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Service of General Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Raoul Jenni
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Service of General Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philipp S Baumann
- Service of General Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Paul Klauser
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Service of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Conus
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Service of General Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Patric Hagmann
- Connectomics Lab, Department of Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kim Q Do
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marek Kubicki
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniella Dwir
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Jenkins AK, Ketchesin KD, Becker-Krail DD, McClung CA. Molecular Rhythmicity in Glia: Importance for Brain Health and Relevance to Psychiatric Disease. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)01298-8. [PMID: 38735357 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Circadian rhythms are approximate 24-hour rhythms present in nearly all aspects of human physiology, including proper brain function. These rhythms are produced at the cellular level through a transcriptional-translational feedback loop known as the molecular clock. Diurnal variation in gene expression has been demonstrated in brain tissue from multiple species, including humans, in both cortical and subcortical regions. Interestingly, these rhythms in gene expression have been shown to be disrupted across psychiatric disorders and may be implicated in their underlying pathophysiology. However, little is known regarding molecular rhythms in specific cell types in the brain and how they might be involved in psychiatric disease. Although glial cells (e.g., astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes) have been historically understudied compared to neurons, evidence of the molecular clock is found within each of these cell subtypes. Here, we review the current literature, which suggests that molecular rhythmicity is essential to functional physiologic outputs from each glial subtype. Furthermore, disrupted molecular rhythms within these cells and the resultant functional deficits may be relevant to specific phenotypes across psychiatric illnesses. Given that circadian rhythm disruptions have been so integrally tied to psychiatric disease, the molecular mechanisms governing these associations could represent exciting new avenues for future research and potential novel pharmacologic targets for treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron K Jenkins
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, and Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Kyle D Ketchesin
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, and Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Darius D Becker-Krail
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, and Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Colleen A McClung
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, and Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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7
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North HF, Weissleder C, Bitar M, Barry G, Fullerton JM, Webster MJ, Weickert CS. RNA-sequencing suggests extracellular matrix and vasculature dysregulation could impair neurogenesis in schizophrenia cases with elevated inflammation. SCHIZOPHRENIA (HEIDELBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 10:50. [PMID: 38704390 PMCID: PMC11069512 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-024-00466-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
A subgroup of schizophrenia cases with elevated inflammation have reduced neurogenesis markers and increased macrophage density in the human subependymal zone (SEZ; also termed subventricular zone or SVZ) neurogenic niche. Inflammation can impair neurogenesis; however, it is unclear which other pathways are associated with reduced neurogenesis. This research aimed to discover transcriptomic differences between inflammatory subgroups of schizophrenia in the SEZ. Total RNA sequencing was performed on SEZ tissue from schizophrenia cases, designated into low inflammation (n = 13) and high inflammation (n = 14) subgroups, based on cluster analysis of inflammation marker gene expression. 718 genes were differentially expressed in high compared to low inflammation schizophrenia (FDR p < 0.05) and were most significantly over-represented in the pathway 'Hepatic Fibrosis/Hepatic Stellate-Cell Activation'. Genes in this pathway relate to extracellular matrix stability (including ten collagens) and vascular remodelling suggesting increased angiogenesis. Collagen-IV, a key element of the basement membrane and fractones, had elevated gene expression. Immunohistochemistry revealed novel collagen-IV+ fractone bulbs within the human SEZ hypocellular gap. Considering the extracellular matrix's regulatory role in SEZ neurogenesis, fibrosis-related alterations in high inflammation schizophrenia may disrupt neurogenesis. Increased angiogenesis could facilitate immune cell transmigration, potentially explaining elevated macrophages in high inflammation schizophrenia. This discovery-driven analysis sheds light on how inflammation may contribute to schizophrenia neuropathology in the neurogenic niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley F North
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Christin Weissleder
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Mechanism and therapy for genetic brain diseases, Institut Imagine, Paris, France
| | | | - Guy Barry
- OncoLife Therapeutics, Yeronga, QLD, Australia
| | - Janice M Fullerton
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Maree J Webster
- Laboratory of Brain Research, Stanley Medical Research Institute, 9800, Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
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8
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Leung PBM, Liu Z, Zhong Y, Tubbs JD, Di Forti M, Murray RM, So HC, Sham PC, Lui SSY. Bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study of differential white blood cell counts and schizophrenia. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 118:22-30. [PMID: 38355025 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia and white blood cell counts (WBC) are both complex and polygenic traits. Previous evidence suggests that increased WBC are associated with higher all-cause mortality, and other studies have found elevated WBC in first-episode psychosis and chronic schizophrenia. However, these observational findings may be confounded by antipsychotic exposures and their effects on WBC. Mendelian randomization (MR) is a useful method for examining the directions of genetically-predicted relationships between schizophrenia and WBC. METHODS We performed a two-sample MR using summary statistics from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) conducted by the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium Schizophrenia Workgroup (N = 130,644) and the Blood Cell Consortium (N = 563,946). The MR methods included inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR Egger, weighted median, MR-PRESSO, contamination mixture, and a novel approach called mixture model reciprocal causal inference (MRCI). False discovery rate was employed to correct for multiple testing. RESULTS Multiple MR methods supported bidirectional genetically-predicted relationships between lymphocyte count and schizophrenia: IVW (b = 0.026; FDR p-value = 0.008), MR Egger (b = 0.026; FDR p-value = 0.008), weighted median (b = 0.013; FDR p-value = 0.049), and MR-PRESSO (b = 0.014; FDR p-value = 0.010) in the forward direction, and IVW (OR = 1.100; FDR p-value = 0.021), MR Egger (OR = 1.231; FDR p-value < 0.001), weighted median (OR = 1.136; FDR p-value = 0.006) and MRCI (OR = 1.260; FDR p-value = 0.026) in the reverse direction. MR Egger (OR = 1.171; FDR p-value < 0.001) and MRCI (OR = 1.154; FDR p-value = 0.026) both suggested genetically-predicted eosinophil count is associated with schizophrenia, but MR Egger (b = 0.060; FDR p-value = 0.010) and contamination mixture (b = -0.013; FDR p-value = 0.045) gave ambiguous results on whether genetically predicted liability to schizophrenia would be associated with eosinophil count. MR Egger (b = 0.044; FDR p-value = 0.010) and MR-PRESSO (b = 0.009; FDR p-value = 0.045) supported genetically predicted liability to schizophrenia is associated with elevated monocyte count, and the opposite direction was also indicated by MR Egger (OR = 1.231; FDR p-value = 0.045). Lastly, unidirectional genetic liability from schizophrenia to neutrophil count were proposed by MR-PRESSO (b = 0.011; FDR p-value = 0.028) and contamination mixture (b = 0.011; FDR p-value = 0.045) method. CONCLUSION This MR study utilised multiple MR methods to obtain results suggesting bidirectional genetic genetically-predicted relationships for elevated lymphocyte counts and schizophrenia risk. In addition, moderate evidence also showed bidirectional genetically-predicted relationships between schizophrenia and monocyte counts, and unidirectional effect from genetic liability for eosinophil count to schizophrenia and from genetic liability for schizophrenia to neutrophil count. The influence of schizophrenia to eosinophil count is less certain. Our findings support the role of WBC in schizophrenia and concur with the hypothesis of neuroinflammation in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perry B M Leung
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Zipeng Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Centre for Child Health, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuanxin Zhong
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Justin D Tubbs
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Marta Di Forti
- Social, Genetics and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Robin M Murray
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Hon-Cheong So
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
| | - Pak C Sham
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Centre for PanorOmic Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
| | - Simon S Y Lui
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
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9
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Lu X, Sun Q, Wu L, Liao M, Yao J, Xiu M. The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in first-episode medication-naïve patients with schizophrenia: A 12-week longitudinal follow-up study. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 131:110959. [PMID: 38311095 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.110959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Inflammation has been related to schizophrenia (SZ). The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an inexpensive inflammatory marker, however, its potential predictive value in patients with SZ has not been extensively investigated. This study aimed to examine whether NLR could predict the clinical response to antipsychotics in this population. One hundred and ninety-five medication-naïve first-episode schizophrenia (MNFES) patients were recruited and received treatment with risperidone for 12 weeks in the present study. Clinical symptoms were evaluated at week 0 and the end of 12 weeks of treatment using the PANSS scales. Complete blood counts were determined at baseline. We found that baseline NEU counts and NLR were positively associated with improvements in clinical symptoms in patients. In addition, MNFES patients with higher baseline NLR values showed a better treatment response to antipsychotics. Linear regression analysis revealed a predictive role of baseline NLR for the improvements of clinical symptoms in SZ patients. Our findings demonstrate that higher NLR was related to better improvements in symptoms after 12 weeks of treatment with antipsychotics, which renders it a promising biomarker of the response to antipsychotics in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobing Lu
- Department of Nutritional and Metabolic Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Translational Medicine of Mental Disorders, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | | | - Ling Wu
- Qingdao Mental Health Center, Qingdao, China
| | - Meisi Liao
- North University of China, Taiyuan, China
| | - Jing Yao
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Meihong Xiu
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, China.
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10
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Miyano T, Mikkaichi T, Nakamura K, Yoshigae Y, Abernathy K, Ogura Y, Kiyosawa N. Circulating microRNA Profiles Identify a Patient Subgroup with High Inflammation and Severe Symptoms in Schizophrenia Experiencing Acute Psychosis. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4291. [PMID: 38673876 PMCID: PMC11050142 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a complex and heterogenous psychiatric disorder. This study aimed to demonstrate the potential of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) as a clinical biomarker to stratify schizophrenia patients and to enhance understandings of their heterogenous pathophysiology. We measured levels of 179 miRNA and 378 proteins in plasma samples of schizophrenia patients experiencing acute psychosis and obtained their Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores. The plasma miRNA profile revealed three subgroups of schizophrenia patients, where one subgroup tended to have higher scores of all the PANSS subscales compared to the other subgroups. The subgroup with high PANSS scores had four distinctively downregulated miRNAs, which enriched 'Immune Response' according to miRNA set enrichment analysis and were reported to negatively regulate IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα. The same subgroup had 22 distinctively upregulated proteins, which enriched 'Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction' according to protein set enrichment analysis, and all the mapped proteins were pro-inflammatory cytokines. Hence, the subgroup is inferred to have comparatively high inflammation within schizophrenia. In conclusion, miRNAs are a potential biomarker that reflects both disease symptoms and molecular pathophysiology, and identify a patient subgroup with high inflammation. These findings provide insights for the precision medicinal strategies for anti-inflammatory treatments in the high-inflammation subgroup of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Miyano
- Translational Science Department II, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., 1-2-58 Hiromachi, Shinagawa, Tokyo 140-8710, Japan; (T.M.); (K.N.); (Y.Y.); (N.K.)
| | - Tsuyoshi Mikkaichi
- Translational Science Department II, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., 1-2-58 Hiromachi, Shinagawa, Tokyo 140-8710, Japan; (T.M.); (K.N.); (Y.Y.); (N.K.)
| | - Kouichi Nakamura
- Translational Science Department II, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., 1-2-58 Hiromachi, Shinagawa, Tokyo 140-8710, Japan; (T.M.); (K.N.); (Y.Y.); (N.K.)
| | - Yasushi Yoshigae
- Translational Science Department II, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., 1-2-58 Hiromachi, Shinagawa, Tokyo 140-8710, Japan; (T.M.); (K.N.); (Y.Y.); (N.K.)
| | - Kelly Abernathy
- Clinical Research Department, Sirtsei Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 3000 RDU Center Drive, Suite 130, Morrisville, NC 27560, USA;
| | - Yuji Ogura
- Translational Research Department, Daiichi Sankyo RD Novare Co., Ltd., 1-16-13 Kitakasai, Edogawa, Tokyo 134-8630, Japan;
| | - Naoki Kiyosawa
- Translational Science Department II, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., 1-2-58 Hiromachi, Shinagawa, Tokyo 140-8710, Japan; (T.M.); (K.N.); (Y.Y.); (N.K.)
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11
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Kim E, Huh JR, Choi GB. Prenatal and postnatal neuroimmune interactions in neurodevelopmental disorders. Nat Immunol 2024; 25:598-606. [PMID: 38565970 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-024-01797-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The intricate relationship between immune dysregulation and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) has been observed across the stages of both prenatal and postnatal development. In this Review, we provide a comprehensive overview of various maternal immune conditions, ranging from infections to chronic inflammatory conditions, that impact the neurodevelopment of the fetus during pregnancy. Furthermore, we examine the presence of immunological phenotypes, such as immune-related markers and coexisting immunological disorders, in individuals with NDDs. By delving into these findings, we shed light on the potential underlying mechanisms responsible for the high occurrence of immune dysregulation alongside NDDs. We also discuss current mouse models of NDDs and their contributions to our understanding of the immune mechanisms underlying these diseases. Additionally, we discuss how neuroimmune interactions contribute to shaping the manifestation of neurological phenotypes in individuals with NDDs while also exploring potential avenues for mitigating these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunha Kim
- BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Neuroscience, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jun R Huh
- Department of Immunology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gloria B Choi
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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12
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Gangadin SS, Mandl RCW, de Witte LD, van Haren NEM, Schutte MJL, Begemann MJH, Kahn RS, Sommer IEC. Lower fractional anisotropy without evidence for neuro-inflammation in patients with early-phase schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Schizophr Res 2024; 264:557-566. [PMID: 36577563 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Various lines of research suggest immune dysregulation as a potential therapeutic target for negative and cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD). Immune dysregulation would lead to higher extracellular free-water (EFW) in cerebral white matter (WM), which may partially underlie the frequently reported lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in SSD. We aim to investigate differences in EFW concentrations - a presumed proxy for neuro-inflammation - between early-phase SSD patients (n = 55) and healthy controls (HC; n = 37), and to explore immunological and cognitive correlates. To increase specificity for EFW, we study several complementary magnetic resonance imaging contrasts that are sensitive to EFW. FA, mean diffusivity (MD), magnetization transfer ratio (MTR), myelin water fraction (MWF) and quantitative T1 and T2 were calculated from diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), magnetization transfer imaging (MTI) and multicomponent driven equilibrium single-pulse observation of T1/T2 (mcDESPOT). For each measure, WM skeletons were constructed with tract-based spatial statistics. Multivariate SSD-HC comparisons with WM skeletons and their average values (i.e. global WM) were not statistically significant. In voxel-wise analyses, FA was significantly lower in SSD in the genu of the corpus callosum and in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus (p < 0.04). Global WM measures did not correlate with immunological markers (i.e. IL1-RA, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and CRP) or cognition in HC and SSD after corrections for multiple comparisons. We confirmed lower FA in early-phase SSD patients. However, nonFA measures did not provide additional evidence for immune dysregulation or for higher EFW as the primary mechanism underlying the reported lower FA values in SSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiral S Gangadin
- Section Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - René C W Mandl
- Section Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Lot D de Witte
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA.
| | - Neeltje E M van Haren
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Maya J L Schutte
- Section Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Marieke J H Begemann
- Section Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - René S Kahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA.
| | - Iris E C Sommer
- Section Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
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13
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Abbasi H, Ghavami-Kia S, Davoodian N, Davoodian N. Maternal quercetin supplementation improved lipopolysaccharide-induced cognitive deficits and inflammatory response in a rat model of maternal immune activation. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2024; 483:116830. [PMID: 38246289 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2024.116830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is strong evidence that prenatal infection during a specific period of brain development increases the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, partly through immune-inflammatory pathways. This suggests that anti-inflammatory agents could prevent these disorders by targeting the maternal inflammatory response. In the present study, we used a rat model of maternal immune activation (MIA) to examine whether maternal quercetin (QE) supplementation can alleviate behavioral deficits and inflammatory mediators in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus of adult male offspring. METHODS Pregnant rats were supplemented with QE (50 mg/kg) or vehicle throughout pregnancy and injected with either lipopolysaccharide (0.5 mg/kg) or saline on gestational days 15/16. At postnatal day 60, we evaluated the offspring's behavior, hippocampal and prefrontal cortex glial density, pro-inflammatory gene expression, and neuronal survival. RESULTS Our data showed that maternal QE supplementation can prevent working and recognition memory impairments in adult MIA offspring. This behavioral improvement correlates with the decrease in MIA-induced expression of pro-inflammatory genes, microglia, and astrocyte densities, without affecting neuronal survival, in both PFC and CA1 hippocampus areas. CONCLUSION Therefore, our study supports the potential preventive effect of QE on MIA-induced behavioral dysfunctions, at least in part, by suppressing the glial-mediated inflammatory response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Abbasi
- Molecular Medicine Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Sina Ghavami-Kia
- Molecular Medicine Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran; Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Nahid Davoodian
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran; Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
| | - Najmeh Davoodian
- Research Institute of Animal Embryo Technology, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
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14
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Tandon R, Nasrallah H, Akbarian S, Carpenter WT, DeLisi LE, Gaebel W, Green MF, Gur RE, Heckers S, Kane JM, Malaspina D, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Murray R, Owen M, Smoller JW, Yassin W, Keshavan M. The schizophrenia syndrome, circa 2024: What we know and how that informs its nature. Schizophr Res 2024; 264:1-28. [PMID: 38086109 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
With new data about different aspects of schizophrenia being continually generated, it becomes necessary to periodically revisit exactly what we know. Along with a need to review what we currently know about schizophrenia, there is an equal imperative to evaluate the construct itself. With these objectives, we undertook an iterative, multi-phase process involving fifty international experts in the field, with each step building on learnings from the prior one. This review assembles currently established findings about schizophrenia (construct, etiology, pathophysiology, clinical expression, treatment) and posits what they reveal about its nature. Schizophrenia is a heritable, complex, multi-dimensional syndrome with varying degrees of psychotic, negative, cognitive, mood, and motor manifestations. The illness exhibits a remitting and relapsing course, with varying degrees of recovery among affected individuals with most experiencing significant social and functional impairment. Genetic risk factors likely include thousands of common genetic variants that each have a small impact on an individual's risk and a plethora of rare gene variants that have a larger individual impact on risk. Their biological effects are concentrated in the brain and many of the same variants also increase the risk of other psychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder, autism, and other neurodevelopmental conditions. Environmental risk factors include but are not limited to urban residence in childhood, migration, older paternal age at birth, cannabis use, childhood trauma, antenatal maternal infection, and perinatal hypoxia. Structural, functional, and neurochemical brain alterations implicate multiple regions and functional circuits. Dopamine D-2 receptor antagonists and partial agonists improve psychotic symptoms and reduce risk of relapse. Certain psychological and psychosocial interventions are beneficial. Early intervention can reduce treatment delay and improve outcomes. Schizophrenia is increasingly considered to be a heterogeneous syndrome and not a singular disease entity. There is no necessary or sufficient etiology, pathology, set of clinical features, or treatment that fully circumscribes this syndrome. A single, common pathophysiological pathway appears unlikely. The boundaries of schizophrenia remain fuzzy, suggesting the absence of a categorical fit and need to reconceptualize it as a broader, multi-dimensional and/or spectrum construct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajiv Tandon
- Department of Psychiatry, WMU Homer Stryker School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, United States of America.
| | - Henry Nasrallah
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Cincinnati, OH 45267, United States of America
| | - Schahram Akbarian
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America
| | - William T Carpenter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States of America
| | - Lynn E DeLisi
- Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance and Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States of America
| | - Wolfgang Gaebel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LVR-Klinikum Dusseldorf, Heinrich-Heine University, Dusseldorf, Germany
| | - Michael F Green
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90024, United States of America; Greater Los Angeles Veterans' Administration Healthcare System, United States of America
| | - Raquel E Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
| | - Stephan Heckers
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States of America
| | - John M Kane
- Department of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Glen Oaks, NY 11004, United States of America
| | - Dolores Malaspina
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Genetics, and Genomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannhein/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Robin Murray
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, Kings College, London, UK
| | - Michael Owen
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, and Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jordan W Smoller
- Center for Precision Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, United States of America
| | - Walid Yassin
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States of America
| | - Matcheri Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States of America
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15
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Wu D, Wu Q, Li F, Wang Y, Zeng J, Tang B, Bishop JR, Xiao L, Lui S. Free water alterations in different inflammatory subgroups in schizophrenia. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 115:557-564. [PMID: 37972880 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accumulating evidence suggests that inflammatory dysregulation both in blood and the brain is implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Alterations in peripheral cytokines are not evident in all patients and there may be discrete altered inflammatory subgroups in schizophrenia. Recent studies using a novel and in vivo free-water imaging to detect inflammatory processes, have shown increased free water in white matter in schizophrenia. However, no studies to date have investigated the free water alterations in different inflammatory subgroups in schizophrenia. METHODS Forty-four patients with schizophrenia and 49 controls were recruited. The serum levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-10, and IL-12p70 were measured and used for cluster analysis with K-means and hierarchical algorithms. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) images were collected for all participants and voxel-wise free water and fractional anisotropy of tissue (FA-t) were compared between groups with Randomise running in FSL. Partial correlation analysis was employed to explore the association of the peripheral cytokine levels with free water. RESULTS We identified two statistically quantifiable discrete subgroups of patients based on the cluster analysis of cytokine measures. The peripheral levels of IL-1β (P < 0.001), IL-10 (P = 0.041), and IL-12p70 (P < 0.001) showed significant differences between the two different inflammatory subgroups. In the inflammatory subgroup with a predominantly higher IL-1β level, increased free water values in white matter were found mainly in the left posterior limb of the internal capsule, posterior corona radiata, and partly in the left sagittal stratum. These affected areas did not overlap with the regions that showed significant free water differences between patients and healthy controls. In the inflammatory subgroup with lower IL-1β levels, peripheral IL-1β was significantly associated with free water values in white matter while no such association was detected in the patient group. CONCLUSIONS Localized free water differences were demonstrated between the two identified inflammatory subgroups in our data, and free water appears to be a feasible in vivo neuroimaging biomarker guiding the target of inflammatory intervention and development of new therapeutic strategies in an individualized manner in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongsheng Wu
- Department of Radiology, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China; West China-PUMC C.C. Chen Institute of Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
| | - Qi Wu
- Key Lab of Intelligent Information Processing of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Fei Li
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
| | - Yaxuan Wang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jiaxin Zeng
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Biqiu Tang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jeffrey R Bishop
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.
| | - Li Xiao
- Key Lab of Intelligent Information Processing of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; School of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing, China.
| | - Su Lui
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
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16
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Howes OD, Bukala BR, Beck K. Schizophrenia: from neurochemistry to circuits, symptoms and treatments. Nat Rev Neurol 2024; 20:22-35. [PMID: 38110704 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-023-00904-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a leading cause of global disability. Current pharmacotherapy for the disease predominantly uses one mechanism - dopamine D2 receptor blockade - but often shows limited efficacy and poor tolerability. These limitations highlight the need to better understand the aetiology of the disease to aid the development of alternative therapeutic approaches. Here, we review the latest meta-analyses and other findings on the neurobiology of prodromal, first-episode and chronic schizophrenia, and the link to psychotic symptoms, focusing on imaging evidence from people with the disorder. This evidence demonstrates regionally specific neurotransmitter alterations, including higher glutamate and dopamine measures in the basal ganglia, and lower glutamate, dopamine and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels in cortical regions, particularly the frontal cortex, relative to healthy individuals. We consider how dysfunction in cortico-thalamo-striatal-midbrain circuits might alter brain information processing to underlie psychotic symptoms. Finally, we discuss the implications of these findings for developing new, mechanistically based treatments and precision medicine for psychotic symptoms, as well as negative and cognitive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver D Howes
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - Bernard R Bukala
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Katherine Beck
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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17
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Amerio A, Magnani L, Arduino G, Fesce F, de Filippis R, Parise A, Costanza A, Nguyen KD, Saverino D, De Berardis D, Aguglia A, Escelsior A, Serafini G, De Fazio P, Amore M. Immunomodulatory Effects of Clozapine: More Than Just a Side Effect in Schizophrenia. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:1233-1247. [PMID: 38031778 PMCID: PMC10964093 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x22666231128101725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests a possible relationship between the immune system and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs), as neuroinflammation appears to play a role in major psychiatric conditions. Neuroinflammation is as a broad concept representing a physiological protective response to infection or injury, but in some cases, especially if chronic, it may represent an expression of maladaptive processes, potentially driving to clinical dysfunction and neurodegeneration. Several studies are concurrently highlighting the importance of microglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system, in a huge number of neurodegenerative diseases, including multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, as well as SSDs. A more fundamental phenomenon of maladaptive coupling of microglia may contribute to the genesis of dysfunctional brain inflammation involved in SSDs, from the onset of their neurophenomenological evolution. Clozapine and other antipsychotic drugs seem to express a provable immunomodulant effect and a more specific action on microglia, while neuroactive steroids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may reduce some SSDs symptoms in add-on therapy. Given these theoretical premises, this article aims to summarize and interpret the available scientific evidence about psychotropic and anti-inflammatory drugs that could express an immunomodulant activity on microglia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Amerio
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI),
Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Luca Magnani
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI),
Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Gabriele Arduino
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI),
Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Fabio Fesce
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI),
Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Renato de Filippis
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Alberto Parise
- Department of Geriatric-Rehabilitation,, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Alessandra Costanza
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, University of Italian Switzerland (USI) Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Khoa D. Nguyen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Tranquis Therapeutics, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Daniele Saverino
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DiMeS), Section of Human Anatomy, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Domenico De Berardis
- NHS, Department of Mental Health, Psychiatric Service for Diagnosis and Treatment, Hospital “G. Mazzini”, Teramo, Italy
| | - Andrea Aguglia
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI),
Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Escelsior
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI),
Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Gianluca Serafini
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI),
Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Pasquale De Fazio
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Mario Amore
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI),
Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
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18
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Fiorito AM, Fakra E, Sescousse G, Ibrahim EC, Rey R. Molecular mapping of a core transcriptional signature of microglia-specific genes in schizophrenia. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:386. [PMID: 38092734 PMCID: PMC10719376 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02677-y] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Besides playing a central role in neuroinflammation, microglia regulate synaptic development and is involved in plasticity. Converging lines of evidence suggest that these different processes play a critical role in schizophrenia. Furthermore, previous studies reported altered transcription of microglia genes in schizophrenia, while microglia itself seems to be involved in the etiopathology of the disease. However, the regional specificity of these brain transcriptional abnormalities remains unclear. Moreover, it is unknown whether brain and peripheral expression of microglia genes are related. Thus, we investigated the expression of a pre-registered list of 10 genes from a core signature of human microglia both at brain and peripheral levels. We included 9 independent Gene Expression Omnibus datasets (764 samples obtained from 266 individuals with schizophrenia and 237 healthy controls) from 8 different brain regions and 3 peripheral tissues. We report evidence of a widespread transcriptional alteration of microglia genes both in brain tissues (we observed a decreased expression in the cerebellum, associative striatum, hippocampus, and parietal cortex of individuals with schizophrenia compared with healthy controls) and whole blood (characterized by a mixed altered expression pattern). Our results suggest that brain underexpression of microglia genes may represent a candidate transcriptional signature for schizophrenia. Moreover, the dual brain-whole blood transcriptional alterations of microglia/macrophage genes identified support the model of schizophrenia as a whole-body disorder and lend weight to the use of blood samples as a potential source of biological peripheral biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Fiorito
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR 5292, PSYR2 Team, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
- Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier, Bron, France
| | - Eric Fakra
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR 5292, PSYR2 Team, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Guillaume Sescousse
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR 5292, PSYR2 Team, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
- Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier, Bron, France
| | - El Chérif Ibrahim
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, INT, Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Marseille, France
| | - Romain Rey
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR 5292, PSYR2 Team, University of Lyon, Lyon, France.
- Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier, Bron, France.
- Fondation FondaMental, Créteil, France.
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Mukhopadhyay A, Deshpande SN, Bhatia T, Thelma BK. Significance of an altered lncRNA landscape in schizophrenia and cognition: clues from a case-control association study. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2023; 273:1677-1691. [PMID: 37009928 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-023-01596-9] [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] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Abstract
Genetic etiology of schizophrenia is poorly understood despite large genome-wide association data. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) with a probable regulatory role are emerging as important players in neuro-psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia. Prioritising important lncRNAs and analyses of their holistic interaction with their target genes may provide insights into disease biology/etiology. Of the 3843 lncRNA SNPs reported in schizophrenia GWASs extracted using lincSNP 2.0, we prioritised n = 247 based on association strength, minor allele frequency and regulatory potential and mapped them to lncRNAs. lncRNAs were then prioritised based on their expression in brain using lncRBase, epigenetic role using 3D SNP and functional relevance to schizophrenia etiology. 18 SNPs were finally tested for association with schizophrenia (n = 930) and its endophenotypes-tardive dyskinesia (n = 176) and cognition (n = 565) using a case-control approach. Associated SNPs were characterised by ChIP seq, eQTL, and transcription factor binding site (TFBS) data using FeatSNP. Of the eight SNPs significantly associated, rs2072806 in lncRNA hsaLB_IO39983 with regulatory effect on BTN3A2 was associated with schizophrenia (p = 0.006); rs2710323 in hsaLB_IO_2331 with role in dysregulation of ITIH1 with tardive dyskinesia (p < 0.05); and four SNPs with significant cognition score reduction (p < 0.05) in cases. Two of these with two additional variants in eQTL were observed among controls (p < 0.05), acting likely as enhancer SNPs and/or altering TFBS of eQTL mapped downstream genes. This study highlights important lncRNAs in schizophrenia and provides a proof of concept of novel interactions of lncRNAs with protein-coding genes to elicit alterations in immune/inflammatory pathways of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anirban Mukhopadhyay
- Department of Genetics, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Marg, New Delhi, 110021, India
| | - Smita N Deshpande
- Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research-Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - Triptish Bhatia
- Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research-Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - B K Thelma
- Department of Genetics, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Marg, New Delhi, 110021, India.
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20
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Ruiz-Guerrero F, Gomez Del Barrio A, de la Torre-Luque A, Ayad-Ahmed W, Beato-Fernandez L, Polo Montes F, Leon Velasco M, MacDowell KS, Leza JC, Carrasco JL, Díaz-Marsá M. Oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways in female eating disorders and borderline personality disorders with emotional dysregulation as linking factors with impulsivity and trauma. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 158:106383. [PMID: 37714047 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and eating disorders (ED) are both disorders with emotional dysregulation that may share some similar biological underpinnings, leading to oxidative/inflammatory alterations. Unfortunately, to date, no studies have assessed the relationship between clinical features, inflammatory alterations and childhood trauma across these disorders. Our aim was to identify the potential common and disorder-specific inflammatory pathways and examine possible associations between these dysregulated pathways and the clinical features. METHODS We studied a sample of 108 women (m = 27.17 years; sd = 7.64), divided into four groups: 23 patients with a restrictive ED (ED-R), 23 patients with a bingeeating/ purging ED (ED-P) and 26 patients with BPD; whereas the control group included 23 healthy subjects. Several inflammatory/oxidative parameters: tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2), p38 mitogenactivated protein kinases, ERK mitogen-activated protein kinases and c-Jun NH2- terminal kinase (JNK), and some antiinflammatory antioxidant elements: glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), Kelch-like ECHassociated protein (Keap1) were determined in plasma or peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Furthermore, clinical, impulsivity, trauma and eating behavior questionnaires were administered. RESULTS Three main inflammatory/oxidative components were extracted using principal component analysis (59.19 % of biomarker variance explained). Disorder-specific dysfunction in the inflammatory and oxidative pathways in patients with BPD and ED were revealed by means of relationships with specific principal components (p < .01). BPD patients showed higher levels of a component featured by elevated levels of JNK and lower of GPx and SOD. ED-R and impulsivity were associated with a component featured by the activation of ERK and negative influence of Keap1. The component featured by the suppression of catalase and COX2 was associated with both ED subtypes and trauma exposure. CONCLUSION Several risk factors such as trauma, impulsivity and eating disorder symptoms were transdiagnostically associated with some inflammatory alterations regardless of diagnosis. These findings suggest that the clinical profile comprising trauma exposure and an emotional dysregulation disorder might constitute a specific endophenotype highly linked with inflammatory alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Ruiz-Guerrero
- Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Eating Disorders Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Santander, Spain; Valdecilla Biomedical Research Institute (IDIVAL), Santander, Spain
| | - Andrés Gomez Del Barrio
- Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Eating Disorders Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Santander, Spain; Center for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Valdecilla Biomedical Research Institute (IDIVAL), Santander, Spain.
| | - Alejandro de la Torre-Luque
- Center for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Department of Legal Medicine, Psychiatry, and Pathology, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Spain
| | | | | | | | | | - Karina S MacDowell
- Center for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, UCM, Madrid, Spain; IIS Hospital 12 de Octubre, IUIN-UCM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan C Leza
- Center for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, UCM, Madrid, Spain; IIS Hospital 12 de Octubre, IUIN-UCM, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Luis Carrasco
- Center for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Department of Legal Medicine, Psychiatry, and Pathology, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Spain; IIS Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marina Díaz-Marsá
- Center for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Department of Legal Medicine, Psychiatry, and Pathology, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Spain; IIS Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
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21
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Ayilara GO, Owoyele BV. Neuroinflammation and microglial expression in brains of social-isolation rearing model of schizophrenia. IBRO Neurosci Rep 2023; 15:31-41. [PMID: 37359498 PMCID: PMC10285239 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2023.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder with a global prevalence of approximately 0.45%. It is considered a mental illness, with negative symptoms, positive symptoms, and cognitive dysfunction. The outcomes of studies on the role of microglia and neuroinflammation have been conflicting. In addition, there is a poor understanding of the sex differences in microglial expression and neuroinflammation markers in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and nucleus accumbens. Understanding the exact roles of neuroinflammation may guide the development of efficient therapeutic drugs that can address the negative, positive, and cognitive symptoms of the disease. We examined the effect of social isolation rearing on schizophrenia-related behaviours in male and female BALB/c mice. The social-isolation rearing protocol started on post-natal day (PND) 21, lasting for 35 days. Animals were assigned to four cohorts, consisting of five animals per group. On PND 56, animals were assessed for behavioural changes. We used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to investigate the expression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, and prefrontal cortex. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess the expression of microglia in the three brain regions. Our study showed that isolation rearing led to increasing locomotion, heightened anxiety, depression, and a reduced percentage of prepulse inhibition. There was a significant increase (p < 0.05) in anxiety in the female isolation mice compared to male isolation mice. Furthermore, isolation rearing significantly increased microglia count (p < 0.05) in the hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, and prefrontal cortex, only in the male group. There was microglial hyper-activation as evident in the downregulation of CX3CR1 in both male and female social-isolation groups. Male social-isolation mice showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) in neuroinflammation markers only in the nucleus accumbens while the female social-isolation mice showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) in neuroinflammation markers in both the nucleus accumbens and hippocampus. The study showed that therapeutic interventions aimed at modulating CX3CR1 activity and reducing inflammation may be beneficial for patients with schizophrenia.
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22
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McKenna F, Gupta PK, Sui YV, Bertisch H, Gonen O, Goff DC, Lazar M. Microstructural and Microvascular Alterations in Psychotic Spectrum Disorders: A Three-Compartment Intravoxel Incoherent Imaging and Free Water Model. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:1542-1553. [PMID: 36921060 PMCID: PMC10686346 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad019] [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: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Microvascular and inflammatory mechanisms have been hypothesized to be involved in the pathophysiology of psychotic spectrum disorders (PSDs). However, data evaluating these hypotheses remain limited. STUDY DESIGN We applied a three-compartment intravoxel incoherent motion free water imaging (IVIM-FWI) technique that estimates the perfusion fraction (PF), free water fraction (FW), and anisotropic diffusion of tissue (FAt) to examine microvascular and microstructural changes in gray and white matter in 55 young adults with a PSD compared to 37 healthy controls (HCs). STUDY RESULTS We found significantly increased PF, FW, and FAt in gray matter regions, and significantly increased PF, FW, and decreased FAt in white matter regions in the PSD group versus HC. Furthermore, in patients, but not in the HC group, increased PF, FW, and FAt in gray matter and increased PF in white matter were significantly associated with poor performance on several cognitive tests assessing memory and processing speed. We additionally report significant associations between IVIM-FWI metrics and myo-inositol, choline, and N-acetylaspartic acid magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging metabolites in the posterior cingulate cortex, which further supports the validity of PF, FW, and FAt as microvascular and microstructural biomarkers of PSD. Finally, we found significant relationships between IVIM-FWI metrics and the duration of psychosis in gray and white matter regions. CONCLUSIONS The three-compartment IVIM-FWI model provides metrics that are associated with cognitive deficits and may reflect disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faye McKenna
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Pradeep Kumar Gupta
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yu Veronica Sui
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hilary Bertisch
- Northwell Health, Zucker Hillside Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Oded Gonen
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Donald C Goff
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Mariana Lazar
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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23
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Matuleviciute R, Akinluyi ET, Muntslag TAO, Dewing JM, Long KR, Vernon AC, Tremblay ME, Menassa DA. Microglial contribution to the pathology of neurodevelopmental disorders in humans. Acta Neuropathol 2023; 146:663-683. [PMID: 37656188 PMCID: PMC10564830 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02629-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Microglia are the brain's resident macrophages, which guide various developmental processes crucial for brain maturation, activity, and plasticity. Microglial progenitors enter the telencephalic wall by the 4th postconceptional week and colonise the fetal brain in a manner that spatiotemporally tracks key neurodevelopmental processes in humans. However, much of what we know about how microglia shape neurodevelopment comes from rodent studies. Multiple differences exist between human and rodent microglia warranting further focus on the human condition, particularly as microglia are emerging as critically involved in the pathological signature of various cognitive and neurodevelopmental disorders. In this article, we review the evidence supporting microglial involvement in basic neurodevelopmental processes by focusing on the human species. We next concur on the neuropathological evidence demonstrating whether and how microglia contribute to the aetiology of two neurodevelopmental disorders: autism spectrum conditions and schizophrenia. Next, we highlight how recent technologies have revolutionised our understanding of microglial biology with a focus on how these tools can help us elucidate at unprecedented resolution the links between microglia and neurodevelopmental disorders. We conclude by reviewing which current treatment approaches have shown most promise towards targeting microglia in neurodevelopmental disorders and suggest novel avenues for future consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rugile Matuleviciute
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Elizabeth T Akinluyi
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria
| | - Tim A O Muntslag
- Princess Maxima Centre for Paediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Katherine R Long
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Anthony C Vernon
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | - David A Menassa
- Department of Neuropathology & The Queen's College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.
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24
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Klein HC, Guest PC, Dobrowolny H, Steiner J. Inflammation and viral infection as disease modifiers in schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1231750. [PMID: 37850104 PMCID: PMC10577328 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1231750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies have now implicated a role for inflammation in schizophrenia. However, many aspects surrounding this aspect of the disease are still controversial. This controversy has been driven by conflicting evidence on the role of both pro-and anti-inflammatory factors and by often contentious findings concerning cytokine and immune cell profiles in the central nervous system and periphery. Current evidence supports the point that interleukin-6 is elevated in CSF, but does not support activation of microglia, resident macrophage-like cells in the brain. Furthermore, the mechanisms involving transit of the peripheral immune system factors across the blood brain barrier to central parenchyma have still not been completely elucidated. This process appears to involve perivascular macrophages and accompanying dendritic cells retained in the parenchyma by the chemokine and cytokine composition of the surrounding milieu. In addition, a number of studies have shown that this can be modulated by infection with viruses such as herpes simplex virus type I which may disrupt antigen presentation in the perivascular space, with long-lasting consequences. In this review article, we discuss the role of inflammation and viral infection as potential disease modifiers in schizophrenia. The primary viral hit may occur in the fetus in utero, transforming the immune response regulatory T-cells or the virus may secondarily remain latent in immune cells or neurons and modify further immune responses in the developing individual. It is hoped that unraveling this pathway further and solidifying our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms involved will pave the way for future studies aimed at identification and implementation of new biomarkers and drug targets. This may facilitate the development of more effective personalized therapies for individuals suffering with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans C. Klein
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Research and Education Department Addiction Care Northern Netherlands, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Paul C. Guest
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Laboratory of Translational Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Laboratory of Neuroproteomics, Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Henrik Dobrowolny
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Laboratory of Translational Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Johann Steiner
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Laboratory of Translational Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Health and Medical Prevention (CHaMP), Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Center for Intervention and Research on Adaptive and Maladaptive Brain Circuits Underlying Mental Health (C-I-R-C), Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg, Germany
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Steen NE, Rahman Z, Szabo A, Hindley GFL, Parker N, Cheng W, Lin A, O’Connell KS, Sheikh MA, Shadrin A, Bahrami S, Karthikeyan S, Hoseth EZ, Dale AM, Aukrust P, Smeland OB, Ueland T, Frei O, Djurovic S, Andreassen OA. Shared Genetic Loci Between Schizophrenia and White Blood Cell Counts Suggest Genetically Determined Systemic Immune Abnormalities. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:1345-1354. [PMID: 37319439 PMCID: PMC10483470 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune mechanisms are indicated in schizophrenia (SCZ). Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified genetic variants associated with SCZ and immune-related phenotypes. Here, we use cutting edge statistical tools to identify shared genetic variants between SCZ and white blood cell (WBC) counts and further understand the role of the immune system in SCZ. STUDY DESIGN GWAS results from SCZ (patients, n = 53 386; controls, n = 77 258) and WBC counts (n = 56 3085) were analyzed. We applied linkage disequilibrium score regression, the conditional false discovery rate method and the bivariate causal mixture model for analyses of genetic associations and overlap, and 2 sample Mendelian randomization to estimate causal effects. STUDY RESULTS The polygenicity for SCZ was 7.5 times higher than for WBC count and constituted 32%-59% of WBC count genetic loci. While there was a significant but weak positive genetic correlation between SCZ and lymphocytes (rg = 0.05), the conditional false discovery rate method identified 383 shared genetic loci (53% concordant effect directions), with shared variants encompassing all investigated WBC subtypes: lymphocytes, n = 215 (56% concordant); neutrophils, n = 158 (49% concordant); monocytes, n = 146 (47% concordant); eosinophils, n = 135 (56% concordant); and basophils, n = 64 (53% concordant). A few causal effects were suggested, but consensus was lacking across different Mendelian randomization methods. Functional analyses indicated cellular functioning and regulation of translation as overlapping mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that genetic factors involved in WBC counts are associated with the risk of SCZ, indicating a role of immune mechanisms in subgroups of SCZ with potential for stratification of patients for immune targeted treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Eiel Steen
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Zillur Rahman
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Attila Szabo
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- K.G. Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Guy F L Hindley
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Nadine Parker
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Weiqiu Cheng
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Aihua Lin
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kevin S O’Connell
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Mashhood A Sheikh
- Research Institute of Internal Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Alexey Shadrin
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Shahram Bahrami
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Sandeep Karthikeyan
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Eva Z Hoseth
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Division of Mental Health, Helse Møre Romsdal HF, Kristiansund, Norway
| | - Anders M Dale
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Pål Aukrust
- Research Institute of Internal Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Section of Clinical Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway
| | - Olav B Smeland
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Thor Ueland
- Research Institute of Internal Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- K.G. Jebsen—Thrombosis Research and Expertise Center (TREC), University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Oleksandr Frei
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Center for Bioinformatics, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Srdjan Djurovic
- NORMENT Centre, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- K.G. Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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Yin G, Chang Y, Zhao Y, Liu C, Yin M, Fu Y, Shi D, Wang L, Jin L, Huang J, Li D, Niu Y, Wang B, Tan S. Automatic recognition of schizophrenia from brain-network features using graph convolutional neural network. Asian J Psychiatr 2023; 87:103687. [PMID: 37418809 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2023.103687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that imposes considerable economic burden on families and society. However, its clinical diagnosis primarily relies on scales and doctors' clinical experience and lacks an objective and accurate diagnostic approach. In recent years, graph convolutional neural networks (GCN) have been used to assist in psychiatric diagnosis owing to their ability to learn spatial-association information. Therefore, this study proposes a schizophrenia automatic recognition model based on graph convolutional neural network. Herein, the resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) data of 103 first-episode schizophrenia patients and 92 normal controls (NCs) were obtained. The automatic recognition model was trained with a nodal feature matrix that comprised the time and frequency-domain features of the EEG signals and local features of the brain network. The most significant regions that contributed to the model classification were identified, and the correlation between the node topological features of each significant region and clinical evaluation metrics was explored. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of the model using 10-fold cross-validation. The best performance in the theta frequency band with a 6 s epoch length and phase-locked value. The recognition accuracy was 90.01%. The most significant region for identifying with first-episode schizophrenia patients and NCs was located in the parietal lobe. The results of this study verify the applicability of the proposed novel method for the identification and diagnosis of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guimei Yin
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan Normal University, City Jinzhong 030619 Shanxi, China
| | - Ying Chang
- Departs of Ultrasonography, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Yanli Zhao
- Peking University Huilonguan Clinical Medical School, Psychiatry Research Center, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing 100096, China
| | - Chenxu Liu
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan Normal University, City Jinzhong 030619 Shanxi, China
| | - Mengzhen Yin
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan Normal University, City Jinzhong 030619 Shanxi, China
| | - Yongcan Fu
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan Normal University, City Jinzhong 030619 Shanxi, China
| | - Dongli Shi
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan Normal University, City Jinzhong 030619 Shanxi, China
| | - Lin Wang
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan Normal University, City Jinzhong 030619 Shanxi, China
| | - Lizhong Jin
- Taiyuan University of Science and Technology, Taiyuan 030024 Shanxi, China
| | - Jie Huang
- Peking University Huilonguan Clinical Medical School, Psychiatry Research Center, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing 100096, China
| | - Dandan Li
- Taiyuan University of Technology, Jinzhong 030600 Shanxi, China
| | - Yan Niu
- Taiyuan University of Technology, Jinzhong 030600 Shanxi, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Taiyuan University of Technology, Jinzhong 030600 Shanxi, China.
| | - Shuping Tan
- Peking University Huilonguan Clinical Medical School, Psychiatry Research Center, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing 100096, China.
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27
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Yakimov V, Falkai P, Wagner E. Pathogenese der Schizophrenie(n). FORTSCHRITTE DER NEUROLOGIE-PSYCHIATRIE 2023; 91:369-383. [PMID: 37725988 DOI: 10.1055/a-2099-7560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by marked heterogeneity at both the phenomenological and neurobiological levels. Its diagnostic disentanglement would lead to more precise treatment and improved prognosis in people with schizophrenia. For this, a deeper understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of schizophrenia is needed.
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28
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Murlanova K, Pletnikov MV. Modeling psychotic disorders: Environment x environment interaction. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105310. [PMID: 37437753 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a major psychotic disorder with multifactorial etiology that includes interactions between genetic vulnerability and environmental risk factors. In addition, interplay of multiple environmental adversities affects neurodevelopment and may increase the individual risk of developing schizophrenia. Consistent with the two-hit hypothesis of schizophrenia, we review rodent models that combine maternal immune activation as the first hit with other adverse environmental exposures as the second hit. We discuss the strengths and pitfalls of the current animal models of environment x environment interplay and propose some future directions to advance the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kateryna Murlanova
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
| | - Mikhail V Pletnikov
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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29
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Williams MR, Macdonald CM, Turkheimer FE. Histological examination of choroid plexus epithelia changes in schizophrenia. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 111:292-297. [PMID: 37150267 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The choroid plexus (CP) produces and secretes most of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of the central nervous system. The CP is suggested to be regulated by descending neurons and by circulating factors and is involved in the interaction between central and peripheral inflammation. Quantitative imaging has demonstrated volumetric CP changes in psychosis, schizophrenia and depression. This study histologically examines CP epithelial cell morphology in these illnesses to identify the biological source of such volumetric changes. METHODS Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) blocks were obtained bilaterally from the lateral ventricles of 13 cases of sex- and age-matched brains from each of schizophrenia (SZ) with psychosis, major depressive disorder (MDD) and matched controls (NPD). FFPE blocks were sectioned at 7 μm and routinely stained for H&E. Morphological analysis of 180 CP epithelia/case was conducted blindly on digital images collected at x600 magnification. Calcification was assessed in all CP regions manually. RESULTS Analysis with a General Linear Model demonstrated a significant effect of diagnosis on somal width (p = 0.006, R2 = 0.33 R2(adj) = 0.25) demonstrating increased somal width in SZ without psychotic medication versus controls (p = 0.032), but not in medicated SZ cases. No effects were observed in calcification. DISCUSSION The epithelial cells that were examined were attached to the CP fibrous surface, so width expansion describes the primary methods for these cells to expand with adherence to this surface in SZ. The interaction of antipsychotic medication and diagnosis demonstrates that this is an illness-specific change mediated through the DA-system with likely neuronal origin. CP alterations were not found in MDD where they are instead generally associated with heightened allostatic load that was unknown in this cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- M R Williams
- Segmentum Analysis, St John's Innovation Park, Cambridge Science Park, UK
| | | | - F E Turkheimer
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
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30
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Nisha Aji K, Hafizi S, Da Silva T, Kiang M, Rusjan PM, Weickert CS, Mizrahi R. Interaction between peripheral and central immune markers in clinical high risk for psychosis. Brain Behav Immun Health 2023; 30:100636. [PMID: 37293440 PMCID: PMC10244662 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2023.100636] [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: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammatory events prior to the diagnosis of schizophrenia may play a role in transition to illness. To date only one in-vivo study has investigated this association between peripheral proinflammatory cytokines and brain markers of inflammation (e.g., mitochondrial 18 kDa translocator protein, TSPO) in schizophrenia, but none in its putative prodrome. In this study, we primarily aimed to (Barron et al., 2017) test study group (clinical high-risk (CHR) and healthy controls) differences in peripheral inflammatory markers and test for any associations with symptom measures, (Hafizi et al., 2017a) investigate the interaction between brain TSPO levels (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and hippocampus) and peripheral inflammatory clusters (entire cohort and (CHR) group independently) within a relatively large group of individuals at CHR for psychosis (N = 38) and healthy controls (N = 20). Participants underwent structural brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and TSPO [18F]FEPPA positron emission tomography (PET) scans. Serum samples were assessed for peripheral inflammatory markers (i.e., CRP and interleukins). For exploratory analysis, we aimed to examine cluster differences for symptom measures and identify independent peripheral predictors of brain TSPO expression. Here, we report increased IL-8 levels that are positively correlated with prodromal general symptom severity and showed trend-level association with apathy in CHR. We identified distinct inflammatory clusters characterized by inflammatory markers (IL-1 β, IL-2, IFN-γ) that were comparable between entire cohort and CHR. TSPO levels did not differ between inflammatory clusters (entire cohort or CHR). Finally, we show that CRP, IL-1 β, TNF-α, and IFN-γ levels were the independent peripheral predictors of brain TSPO expression. Thus, alterations in brain TSPO expression in response to inflammatory processes are not evident in CHR. Taken together, clustering by inflammatory status is a promising strategy to characterize the interaction between brain TSPO and peripheral markers of inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kankana Nisha Aji
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Douglas Research Centre, Clinical and Translational Sciences Lab, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sina Hafizi
- Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Tania Da Silva
- Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael Kiang
- Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pablo M. Rusjan
- Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Douglas Research Centre, Clinical and Translational Sciences Lab, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Romina Mizrahi
- Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Douglas Research Centre, Clinical and Translational Sciences Lab, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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León-Ortiz P, Rivera-Chávez LF, Torres-Ruíz J, Reyes-Madrigal F, Carrillo-Vázquez D, Moncada-Habib T, Cassiano-Quezada F, Cadenhead KS, Gómez-Martín D, de la Fuente-Sandoval C. Systemic inflammation and cortical neurochemistry in never-medicated first episode-psychosis individuals. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 111:270-276. [PMID: 37149107 PMCID: PMC10330452 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.05.001] [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] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies of cellular and cytokine profiles have contributed to the inflammation hypothesis of schizophrenia; however, precise markers of inflammatory dysfunction remain elusive. A number of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) studies in patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) have shown higher brain levels of metabolites such as glutamate, myo-inositol (mI) and choline-containing compounds (tCho), suggesting neuroinflammation. Here, we present peripheral inflammatory profiles in antipsychotic-naive FEP patients and age-and-sex matched healthy controls, as well as cortical glutamate, mI and tCho levels using 1H-MRS. Inflammatory profiles were analyzed using cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells, that were either spontaneous or stimulated, in 48 FEP patients and 23 controls. 1H-MRS of the medial prefrontal cortex was obtained in 29 FEP patients and 18 controls. Finally, 16 FEP patients were rescanned after 4 weeks of treatment (open-label) with Risperidone. FEP patients showed a higher proportion of proinflammatory Th1/Th17 subset, and an increased spontaneous production of Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-2 and IL-4 compared with the control group. Results obtained from 1H-MRS showed no significant difference in either glutamate, mI or tCho between FEP and control groups. At baseline, CD8% showed a negative correlation with glutamate in FEP patients; after 4 weeks of risperidone treatment, the FEP group exhibited a decrease in glutamate levels which positively correlated with CD4 + T cells. Nevertheless, these correlations did not survive correction for multiple comparisons. FEP patients show evidence of immune dysregulation, affecting both the innate and adaptive immune response, with a predominantly Th2 signature. These findings, along with the changes produced by antipsychotic treatment, could be associated with both systemic and central inflammatory processes in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo León-Ortiz
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychiatry, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Mexico City, Mexico; Neuropsychiatry Department, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Luis F Rivera-Chávez
- Neuropsychiatry Department, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Jiram Torres-Ruíz
- Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Francisco Reyes-Madrigal
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychiatry, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Daniel Carrillo-Vázquez
- Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Tomás Moncada-Habib
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychiatry, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Fabiola Cassiano-Quezada
- Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Kristin S Cadenhead
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Diana Gómez-Martín
- Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico
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Cao Y, Xu Y, Xia Q, Shan F, Liang J. Peripheral Complement Factor-Based Biomarkers for Patients with First-Episode Schizophrenia. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2023; 19:1455-1462. [PMID: 37384352 PMCID: PMC10295471 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s420475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a severe, protracted neurological disorder that causes disruptive conduct in millions of individuals globally. Discovery of potential biomarkers in clinical settings would lead to the development of efficient diagnostic techniques and an awareness of the disease's pathogenesis and prognosis. The aim of the present study was to discover and identify serum complement factor-based biomarkers in discriminating patients with first-episode SCZ from healthy controls. Methods Eighty-nine patients with first-episode SCZ and 89 healthy controls were included in this study. Psychiatric symptom severity of patients with SCZ was measured with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale-18 Item Version (BPRS) and the Scales for the Assessment of Negative/Positive Symptoms (SANS/SAPS). A total of 5 complement factors including complement component 1 (C1), C2, C3, C4, and 50% hemolytic complement (CH50) were measured using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. The levels of serum complement factors in the SCZ and control groups were compared, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve method was used to assess the diagnostic values of various complement factors for separating SCZ patients from healthy controls. Pearson's correlation test was used to assess the relationships between serum complement factor concentrations and the psychiatric symptom severity. Results There was an increase in serum levels of C1, C2, C3, C4, and CH50 among patients with SCZ. Moreover, based on ROC curve analysis, the AUC value of a combined panel of C1, C2, C3, C4, and CH50 was 0.857 when used to discriminate patients with SCZ from healthy controls. Furthermore, serum C2, C3, and CH50 levels were positively correlated to the scores of SANS, SAPS, and BPRS in patients with SCZ, respectively. Conclusion These results suggested that circulating complement factors including C1, C2, C3, C4, and CH50 may have potential in discovering biomarkers for diagnosing first-episode SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Cao
- Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Pharmacy, Hefei Fourth People’s Hospital, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
- Psychopharmacology Research Laboratory, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
- Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yayun Xu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
- The Key Laboratory of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicines, Ministry of Education, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qingrong Xia
- Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Pharmacy, Hefei Fourth People’s Hospital, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
- Psychopharmacology Research Laboratory, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
- Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
| | - Feng Shan
- Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Pharmacy, Hefei Fourth People’s Hospital, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
- Psychopharmacology Research Laboratory, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
- Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jun Liang
- Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Pharmacy, Hefei Fourth People’s Hospital, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
- Psychopharmacology Research Laboratory, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
- Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
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Goker M, Aytac HM, Guclu O. Evaluation of Serum Complement Levels and Factors Affecting Treatment Resistance in Patients with Schizophrenia. PSYCHIAT CLIN PSYCH 2023; 33:84-93. [PMID: 38765923 PMCID: PMC11082620 DOI: 10.5152/pcp.2023.22580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Background There are increasing investigations about the potential role of the complement system in disorders affecting the central nervous system, including schizophrenia. Therefore, we aim to evaluate the levels of complement 3 and complement 4 and the factors affecting treatment resistance in schizophrenia patients. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2020 and January 2021 and included schizophrenia patients resistant to treatment or in remission and healthy controls. The Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-5 was used to confirm the diagnosis according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual -5 criteria. We evaluated the patients with some scales and forms. The complement 3 and complement 4 levels were measured from blood samples. Results In the treatment-resistant schizophrenia group, complement 3 (P = .001) and complement 4 (P = .001) levels were significantly higher compared to schizophrenia patients in remission and healthy controls. While the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (P < .001), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale-positive (P < .001), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale-negative (P < .001), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale-psychopathology (P < .001), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale-total (P < .001), and the Clinical Global Impression Scale-Severity (P < .001) scores were significantly higher in treatment-resistant schizophrenia patients, the General Assessment of Functioning (P < .001), and Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (P < .001) scores were significantly lower compared to the other groups. In schizophrenia patients, complement 3 levels were positively correlated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale-negative (P = .046), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale-psychopathology (P = .001), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale -total (P = .025), and Clinical Global Impression Scale-Severity of Disease (P = .004). Also, complement 4 levels were positively correlated with Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (P = .004), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale-positive (P = .003), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale -negative (P = .014), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale-psychopathology (P < .001), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale-total (P = .002), and Clinical Global Impression Scale-Severity of Disease (P = .001) in patients with schizophrenia. It was determined that a higher C4 level increased the risk of treatment resistance (odds ratio: 1.133, 95% CI: 1.012-1.268; P = .030), while a higher Beck Cognitive Insight Scale score decreased the risk of treatment resistance (odds ratio: 0.317, 95% CI: 0.191-0.526; P < .001). Conclusion In light of the analyses, it can be said that complement concentration increases in certain stages of schizophrenia, and its imbalance may be associated with symptom severity and treatment resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Goker
- Department of Psychiatry, Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Hasan Mervan Aytac
- Department of Psychiatry, Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Oya Guclu
- Department of Psychiatry, Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
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Mullapudi T, Debnath M, Govindaraj R, Raj P, Banerjee M, Varambally S. Effects of a six-month yoga intervention on the immune-inflammatory pathway in antipsychotic-stabilized schizophrenia patients: A randomized controlled trial. Asian J Psychiatr 2023; 86:103636. [PMID: 37290243 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2023.103636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder for which several etiopathological theories have been proposed, one of the prominent ones being immune dysfunction. Recent studies on yoga as an add-on therapy have shown improvement in negative symptoms, cognition, and quality of life in schizophrenia patients. However, the biological mechanism/s of action of yoga in schizophrenia are not clear. The current study was aimed at exploring the effects of long-term (6 months) add-on yoga therapy on the immune inflammatory pathway in schizophrenia patients. METHODS Sixty schizophrenia patients were randomized to add-on yoga therapy (YT=30) and treatment-as-usual (TAU=30) groups of which 21 patients in YT and 20 in TAU group completed the study. Blood samples and clinical assessments were obtained at baseline and at the end of 6 months. The plasma levels of nine cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-12(p70), IL-13, GM-CSF, IFN-γ, and TNF-α) were quantified using multiplex suspension array. The clinical assessments included SAPS, SANS, BPRS, PSS, CGI, SOFS and WHOQUOL-BREF. RESULTS Patients in the yoga group showed significant reductions in plasma TNF-α (Z = 2.99, p = 0.003) and IL-5 levels (Z = 2.20, p = 0.03) and greater clinical improvements in SAPS, SANS, PSS, and SOFS scores as compared to TAU group. Further, plasma TNF-α levels exhibited a positive correlation with negative symptoms (rs =0.45, p = 0.02) and socio-occupational functioning (rs =0.61, p = 0.002) in the YT group. CONCLUSIONS The findings of the study suggest that improvements in schizophrenia psychopathology with yoga interventions are associated with immuno-modulatory effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thrinath Mullapudi
- Department of Human Genetics, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India.
| | - Monojit Debnath
- Department of Human Genetics, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India.
| | - Ramajayam Govindaraj
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India.
| | - Praveen Raj
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India.
| | - Moinak Banerjee
- Human Molecular Genetics Lab, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Trivandrum, Kerala, India.
| | - Shivarama Varambally
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India; Department of Integrative Medicine, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India.
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Steiner J, Schmitt A, Falkai P. Publishing Negative Results of Neurobiological Studies in Mental Disorders Will Advance Knowledge in Pathophysiology. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:539-541. [PMID: 36852840 PMCID: PMC10154704 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Johann Steiner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, Magdeburg, Germany
- Laboratory of Translational Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Site Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Health and Medical Prevention (CHaMP), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Andrea Schmitt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
- Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM27), Institute of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Peter Falkai
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Site Munich-Augsburg, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
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Howes OD, Onwordi EC. The synaptic hypothesis of schizophrenia version III: a master mechanism. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:1843-1856. [PMID: 37041418 PMCID: PMC10575788 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02043-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
The synaptic hypothesis of schizophrenia has been highly influential. However, new approaches mean there has been a step-change in the evidence available, and some tenets of earlier versions are not supported by recent findings. Here, we review normal synaptic development and evidence from structural and functional imaging and post-mortem studies that this is abnormal in people at risk and with schizophrenia. We then consider the mechanism that could underlie synaptic changes and update the hypothesis. Genome-wide association studies have identified a number of schizophrenia risk variants converging on pathways regulating synaptic elimination, formation and plasticity, including complement factors and microglial-mediated synaptic pruning. Induced pluripotent stem cell studies have demonstrated that patient-derived neurons show pre- and post-synaptic deficits, synaptic signalling alterations, and elevated, complement-dependent elimination of synaptic structures compared to control-derived lines. Preclinical data show that environmental risk factors linked to schizophrenia, such as stress and immune activation, can lead to synapse loss. Longitudinal MRI studies in patients, including in the prodrome, show divergent trajectories in grey matter volume and cortical thickness compared to controls, and PET imaging shows in vivo evidence for lower synaptic density in patients with schizophrenia. Based on this evidence, we propose version III of the synaptic hypothesis. This is a multi-hit model, whereby genetic and/or environmental risk factors render synapses vulnerable to excessive glia-mediated elimination triggered by stress during later neurodevelopment. We propose the loss of synapses disrupts pyramidal neuron function in the cortex to contribute to negative and cognitive symptoms and disinhibits projections to mesostriatal regions to contribute to dopamine overactivity and psychosis. It accounts for the typical onset of schizophrenia in adolescence/early adulthood, its major risk factors, and symptoms, and identifies potential synaptic, microglial and immune targets for treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver D Howes
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK.
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, Medical Research Council, London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, London, W12 0NN, UK.
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
| | - Ellis Chika Onwordi
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK.
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, Medical Research Council, London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, London, W12 0NN, UK.
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
- Centre for Psychiatry and Mental Health, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 2AB, UK.
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Mawson ER, Morris BJ. A consideration of the increased risk of schizophrenia due to prenatal maternal stress, and the possible role of microglia. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 125:110773. [PMID: 37116354 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110773] [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] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is caused by interaction of a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Of the latter, prenatal exposure to maternal stress is reportedly associated with elevated disease risk. The main orchestrators of inflammatory processes within the brain are microglia, and aberrant microglial activation/function has been proposed to contribute to the aetiology of schizophrenia. Here, we evaluate the epidemiological and preclinical evidence connecting prenatal stress to schizophrenia risk, and consider the possible mediating role of microglia in the prenatal stress-schizophrenia relationship. Epidemiological findings are rather consistent in supporting the association, albeit they are mitigated by effects of sex and gestational timing, while the evidence for microglial activation is more variable. Rodent models of prenatal stress generally report lasting effects on offspring neurobiology. However, many uncertainties remain as to the mechanisms underlying the influence of maternal stress on the developing foetal brain. Future studies should aim to characterise the exact processes mediating this aspect of schizophrenia risk, as well as focussing on how prenatal stress may interact with other risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor R Mawson
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Brian J Morris
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK.
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Mo C, Wang J, Ye Z, Ke H, Liu S, Hatch K, Gao S, Magidson J, Chen C, Mitchell BD, Kochunov P, Hong LE, Ma T, Chen S. Evaluating the causal effect of tobacco smoking on white matter brain aging: a two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis in UK Biobank. Addiction 2023; 118:739-749. [PMID: 36401354 PMCID: PMC10443605 DOI: 10.1111/add.16088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Tobacco smoking is a risk factor for impaired brain function, but its causal effect on white matter brain aging remains unclear. This study aimed to measure the causal effect of tobacco smoking on white matter brain aging. DESIGN Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using two non-overlapping data sets (with and without neuroimaging data) from UK Biobank (UKB). The group exposed to smoking and control group consisted of current smokers and never smokers, respectively. Our main method was generalized weighted linear regression with other methods also included as sensitivity analysis. SETTING United Kingdom. PARTICIPANTS The study cohort included 23 624 subjects [10 665 males and 12 959 females with a mean age of 54.18 years, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 54.08, 54.28]. MEASUREMENTS Genetic variants were selected as instrumental variables under the MR analysis assumptions: (1) associated with the exposure; (2) influenced outcome only via exposure; and (3) not associated with confounders. The exposure smoking status (current versus never smokers) was measured by questionnaires at the initial visit (2006-10). The other exposure, cigarettes per day (CPD), measured the average number of cigarettes smoked per day for current tobacco users over the life-time. The outcome was the 'brain age gap' (BAG), the difference between predicted brain age and chronological age, computed by training machine learning model on a non-overlapping set of never smokers. FINDINGS The estimated BAG had a mean of 0.10 (95% CI = 0.06, 0.14) years. The MR analysis showed evidence of positive causal effect of smoking behaviors on BAG: the effect of smoking is 0.21 (in years, 95% CI = 6.5 × 10-3 , 0.41; P-value = 0.04), and the effect of CPD is 0.16 year/cigarette (UKB: 95% CI = 0.06, 0.26; P-value = 1.3 × 10-3 ; GSCAN: 95% CI = 0.02, 0.31; P-value = 0.03). The sensitivity analyses showed consistent results. CONCLUSIONS There appears to be a significant causal effect of smoking on the brain age gap, which suggests that smoking prevention can be an effective intervention for accelerated brain aging and the age-related decline in cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Mo
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jingtao Wang
- Department of Hematology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Zhenyao Ye
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hongjie Ke
- Department of Mathematics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Song Liu
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Kathryn Hatch
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Si Gao
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jessica Magidson
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Chixiang Chen
- Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Braxton D. Mitchell
- Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Peter Kochunov
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - L. Elliot Hong
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tianzhou Ma
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Shuo Chen
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Foley ÉM, Griffiths SL, Murray A, Rogers J, Corsi-Zuelli F, Hickinbotham H, Warwick E, Wilson M, Kaser M, Murray GK, Deakin B, Jadon D, Suckling J, Barnes NM, Upthegrove R, Khandaker GM. Protocol for the Psychosis Immune Mechanism Stratified Medicine (PIMS) trial: a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial of single-dose tocilizumab in patients with psychosis. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e067944. [PMID: 36963796 PMCID: PMC10040013 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-067944] [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] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Evidence suggests a potentially causal role of interleukin 6 (IL-6), a pleiotropic cytokine that generally promotes inflammation, in the pathogenesis of psychosis. However, no interventional studies in patients with psychosis, stratified using inflammatory markers, have been conducted to assess the therapeutic potential of targeting IL-6 in psychosis and to elucidate potential mechanism of effect. Tocilizumab is a humanised monoclonal antibody targeting the IL-6 receptor to inhibit IL-6 signalling, licensed in the UK for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The primary objective of this study is to test whether IL-6 contributes to the pathogenesis of first episode psychosis and to examine potential mechanisms by which IL-6 affects psychotic symptoms. A secondary objective is to examine characteristics of inflammation-associated psychosis. METHODS AND ANALYSIS A proof-of-concept study employing a randomised, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled design testing the effect of IL-6 inhibition on anhedonia in patients with psychosis. Approximately 60 participants with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders (ICD-10 codes F20, F22, F25, F28, F29) with evidence of low-grade inflammation (IL-6≥0.7 pg/mL) will receive either one intravenous infusion of tocilizumab (4.0 mg/kg; max 800 mg) or normal saline. Psychiatric measures and blood samples will be collected at baseline, 7, 14 and 28 days post infusion. Cognitive and neuroimaging data will be collected at baseline and 14 days post infusion. In addition, approximately 30 patients with psychosis without evidence of inflammation (IL-6<0.7 pg/mL) and 30 matched healthy controls will be recruited to complete identical baseline assessments to allow for comparison of the characteristic features of inflammation-associated psychosis. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The study is sponsored by the University of Bristol and has been approved by the Cambridge East Research Ethics Committee (reference: 22/EE/0010; IRAS project ID: 301682). Study findings will be published in peer-review journals. Findings will also be disseminated by scientific presentation and other means. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ISRCTN23256704.
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Affiliation(s)
- Éimear M Foley
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Sian Lowri Griffiths
- Institute for Mental Health and Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Alexander Murray
- Institute for Mental Health and Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Jack Rogers
- Institute for Mental Health and Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Fabiana Corsi-Zuelli
- Institute for Mental Health and Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Department of Neuroscience and Behaviour, Division of Psychiatry, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | | | - Ella Warwick
- Institute for Mental Health and Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Martin Wilson
- Institute for Mental Health and Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Muzaffer Kaser
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Fulbourn, UK
| | - Graham K Murray
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Fulbourn, UK
| | - Bill Deakin
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Deepak Jadon
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - John Suckling
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Fulbourn, UK
| | - Nicholas M Barnes
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Rachel Upthegrove
- Institute for Mental Health and Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Early Intervention Service, Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Golam M Khandaker
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- National Institute for Health and Care Research, Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, Bristol, UK
- Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, Bristol, UK
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40
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Inflammation and cognition in severe mental illness: patterns of covariation and subgroups. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:1284-1292. [PMID: 36577840 PMCID: PMC10005942 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01924-w] [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] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
A potential relationship between dysregulation of immune/inflammatory pathways and cognitive impairment has been suggested in severe mental illnesses (SMI), such as schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar (BD) spectrum disorders. However, multivariate relationships between peripheral inflammatory/immune-related markers and cognitive domains are unclear, and many studies do not account for inter-individual variance in both cognitive functioning and inflammatory/immune status. This study aimed to investigate covariance patterns between inflammatory/immune-related markers and cognitive domains and further elucidate heterogeneity in a large SMI and healthy control (HC) cohort (SZ = 343, BD = 289, HC = 770). We applied canonical correlation analysis (CCA) to identify modes of maximum covariation between a comprehensive selection of cognitive domains and inflammatory/immune markers. We found that poor verbal learning and psychomotor processing speed was associated with higher levels of interleukin-18 system cytokines and beta defensin 2, reflecting enhanced activation of innate immunity, a pattern augmented in SMI compared to HC. Applying hierarchical clustering on covariance patterns identified by the CCA revealed a high cognition-low immune dysregulation subgroup with predominantly HC (24% SZ, 45% BD, 74% HC) and a low cognition-high immune dysregulation subgroup predominantly consisting of SMI patients (76% SZ, 55% BD, 26% HC). These subgroups differed in IQ, years of education, age, CRP, BMI (all groups), level of functioning, symptoms and defined daily dose (DDD) of antipsychotics (SMI cohort). Our findings suggest a link between cognitive impairment and innate immune dysregulation in a subset of individuals with severe mental illness.
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41
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Schmitt A, Falkai P, Papiol S. Neurodevelopmental disturbances in schizophrenia: evidence from genetic and environmental factors. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2023; 130:195-205. [PMID: 36370183 PMCID: PMC9660136 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-022-02567-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Since more than 3 decades, schizophrenia (SZ) has been regarded as a neurodevelopmental disorder. The neurodevelopmental hypothesis proposes that SZ is associated with genetic and environmental risk factors, which influence connectivity in neuronal circuits during vulnerable developmental periods. We carried out a non-systematic review of genetic/environmental factors that increase SZ risk in light of its neurodevelopmental hypothesis. We also reviewed the potential impact of SZ-related environmental and genetic risk factors on grey and white matter pathology and brain function based on magnetic resonance imaging and post-mortem studies. Finally, we reviewed studies that have used patient-derived neuronal models to gain knowledge of the role of genetic and environmental factors in early developmental stages. Taken together, these studies indicate that a variety of environmental factors may interact with genetic risk factors during the pre- or postnatal period and/or during adolescence to induce symptoms of SZ in early adulthood. These risk factors induce disturbances of macro- and microconnectivity in brain regions involving the prefrontal, temporal and parietal cortices and the hippocampus. On the molecular and cellular level, a disturbed synaptic plasticity, loss of oligodendrocytes and impaired myelination have been shown in brain regions of SZ patients. These cellular/histological phenotypes are related to environmental risk factors such as obstetric complications, maternal infections and childhood trauma and genetic risk factors identified in recent genome-wide association studies. SZ-related genetic risk may contribute to active processes interfering with synaptic plasticity in the adult brain. Advances in stem cell technologies are providing promising mechanistic insights into how SZ risk factors impact the developing brain. Further research is needed to understand the timing of the different complex biological processes taking place as a result of the interplay between genetic and environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Schmitt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nußbaumstr. 7, 80336, Munich, Germany.
- Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM27), Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Peter Falkai
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nußbaumstr. 7, 80336, Munich, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, Munich, Germany
| | - Sergi Papiol
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nußbaumstr. 7, 80336, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics (IPPG), University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
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Effects of Cannabidiol on Innate Immunity: Experimental Evidence and Clinical Relevance. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043125. [PMID: 36834537 PMCID: PMC9964491 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cannabidiol (CBD) is the main non-psychotropic cannabinoid derived from cannabis (Cannabis sativa L., fam. Cannabaceae). CBD has received approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or Dravet syndrome. However, CBD also has prominent anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects; evidence exists that it could be beneficial in chronic inflammation, and even in acute inflammatory conditions, such as those due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this work, we review available evidence concerning CBD's effects on the modulation of innate immunity. Despite the lack so far of clinical studies, extensive preclinical evidence in different models, including mice, rats, guinea pigs, and even ex vivo experiments on cells from human healthy subjects, shows that CBD exerts a wide range of inhibitory effects by decreasing cytokine production and tissue infiltration, and acting on a variety of other inflammation-related functions in several innate immune cells. Clinical studies are now warranted to establish the therapeutic role of CBD in diseases with a strong inflammatory component, such as multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases, cancer, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases.
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43
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Royse SK, Lopresti BJ, Mathis CA, Tollefson S, Narendran R. Beyond monoamines: II. Novel applications for PET imaging in psychiatric disorders. J Neurochem 2023; 164:401-443. [PMID: 35716057 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Early applications of positron emission tomography (PET) in psychiatry sought to identify derangements of cerebral blood flow and metabolism. The need for more specific neurochemical imaging probes was soon evident, and these probes initially targeted the sites of action of neuroleptic (dopamine D2 receptors) and psychoactive (serotonin receptors) drugs. For nearly 30 years, the centrality of monoamine dysfunction in psychiatric disorders drove the development of an armamentarium of monoaminergic PET radiopharmaceuticals and imaging methodologies. However, continued investments in monoamine-enhancing drug development realized only modest gains in efficacy and tolerability. As patent protection for many widely prescribed and profitable psychiatric drugs lapsed, drug development pipelines shifted away from monoamines in search of novel targets with the promises of improved efficacy, or abandoned altogether. Over this period, PET radiopharmaceutical development activities closely parallelled drug development priorities, resulting in the development of new PET imaging agents for non-monoamine targets. In part two of this review, we survey clinical research studies using the novel targets and radiotracers described in part one across major psychiatric application areas such as substance use disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, personality disorders, mood disorders, and schizophrenia. Important limitations of the studies described are discussed, as well as key methodologic issues, challenges to the field, and the status of clinical trials seeking to exploit these targets for novel therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K Royse
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Brian J Lopresti
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Chester A Mathis
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Savannah Tollefson
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Rajesh Narendran
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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Lopresti BJ, Royse SK, Mathis CA, Tollefson SA, Narendran R. Beyond monoamines: I. Novel targets and radiotracers for Positron emission tomography imaging in psychiatric disorders. J Neurochem 2023; 164:364-400. [PMID: 35536762 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
With the emergence of positron emission tomography (PET) in the late 1970s, psychiatry had access to a tool capable of non-invasive assessment of human brain function. Early applications in psychiatry focused on identifying characteristic brain blood flow and metabolic derangements using radiotracers such as [15 O]H2 O and [18 F]FDG. Despite the success of these techniques, it became apparent that more specific probes were needed to understand the neurochemical bases of psychiatric disorders. The first neurochemical PET imaging probes targeted sites of action of neuroleptic (dopamine D2 receptors) and psychoactive (serotonin receptors) drugs. Based on the centrality of monoamine dysfunction in psychiatric disorders and the measured success of monoamine-enhancing drugs in treating them, the next 30 years witnessed the development of an armamentarium of PET radiopharmaceuticals and imaging methodologies for studying monoamines. Continued development of monoamine-enhancing drugs over this time however was less successful, realizing only modest gains in efficacy and tolerability. As patent protection for many widely prescribed and profitable psychiatric drugs lapsed, drug development pipelines shifted away from monoamines in search of novel targets with the promises of improved efficacy, or abandoned altogether. Over this period, PET radiopharmaceutical development activities closely paralleled drug development priorities resulting in the development of new PET imaging agents for non-monoamine targets. Part one of this review will briefly survey novel PET imaging targets with relevance to the field of psychiatry, which include the metabotropic glutamate receptor type 5 (mGluR5), purinergic P2 X7 receptor, type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1 ), phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A), and describe radiotracers developed for these and other targets that have matured to human subject investigations. Current limitations of the targets and techniques will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Lopresti
- Departments of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sarah K Royse
- Departments of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Chester A Mathis
- Departments of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Savannah A Tollefson
- Departments of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Rajesh Narendran
- Departments of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Departments of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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Chemokine Dysregulation and Neuroinflammation in Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032215. [PMID: 36768537 PMCID: PMC9917146 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemokines are known to be immunoregulatory proteins involved not only in lymphocyte chemotaxis to the site of inflammation, but also in neuromodulation, neurogenesis, and neurotransmission. Multiple lines of evidence suggest a peripheral proinflammatory state and neuroinflammation in at least a third of patients with schizophrenia. Therefore, chemokines can be active players in these processes. In this systematic review, we analyzed the available data on chemokine dysregulation in schizophrenia and the association of chemokines with neuroinflammation. It has been shown that there is a genetic association of chemokine and chemokine receptor gene polymorphisms in schizophrenia. Besides, the most reliable data confirmed by the results of meta-analyses showed an increase in CXCL8/IL-8, CCL2/MCP-1, CCL4/MIP-1β, CCL11/eotaxin-1 in the blood of patients with schizophrenia. An increase in CXCL8 has been found in cerebrospinal fluid, but other chemokines have been less well studied. Increased/decreased expression of genes of chemokine and their receptors have been found in different areas of the brain and peripheral immune cells. The peripheral proinflammatory state may influence the expression of chemokines since their expression is regulated by pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Mouse models have shown an association of schizophrenia with dysregulation of the CX3CL1-CX3CR1 and CXCL12-CXCR4 axes. Altogether, dysregulation in chemokine expression may contribute to neuroinflammation in schizophrenia. In conclusion, this evidence indicates the involvement of chemokines in the neurobiological processes associated with schizophrenia.
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Helaly AMN, Ghorab DSED. Schizophrenia as metabolic disease. What are the causes? Metab Brain Dis 2023; 38:795-804. [PMID: 36656396 PMCID: PMC9849842 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-022-01147-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a devastating neurodevelopmental disease with an accelerated ageing feature. The criteria of metabolic disease firmly fit with those of schizophrenia. Disturbances in energy and mitochondria are at the core of complex pathology. Genetic and environmental interaction creates changes in redox, inflammation, and apoptosis. All the factors behind schizophrenia interact in a cycle where it is difficult to discriminate between the cause and the effect. New technology and advances in the multi-dispensary fields could break this cycle in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Mohamed Nabil Helaly
- Clinical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan.
- Forensic Medicine and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
| | - Doaa Shame El Din Ghorab
- Basic Science, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
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Maurya SK, Gupta S, Mishra R. Transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of microglia in maintenance of brain homeostasis and neurodegeneration. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 15:1072046. [PMID: 36698776 PMCID: PMC9870594 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1072046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The emerging role of microglia in brain homeostasis, neurodegeneration, and neurodevelopmental disorders has attracted considerable interest. In addition, recent developments in microglial functions and associated pathways have shed new light on their fundamental role in the immunological surveillance of the brain. Understanding the interconnections between microglia, neurons, and non-neuronal cells have opened up additional avenues for research in this evolving field. Furthermore, the study of microglia at the transcriptional and epigenetic levels has enhanced our knowledge of these native brain immune cells. Moreover, exploring various facets of microglia biology will facilitate the early detection, treatment, and management of neurological disorders. Consequently, the present review aimed to provide comprehensive insight on microglia biology and its influence on brain development, homeostasis, management of disease, and highlights microglia as potential therapeutic targets in neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shashank Kumar Maurya
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India,*Correspondence: Shashank Kumar Maurya, ;
| | - Suchi Gupta
- Tech Cell Innovations Private Limited, Centre for Medical Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CMIE), All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Rajnikant Mishra
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
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48
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Petty A, Howes O, Eyles D. Animal Models of Relevance to the Schizophrenia Prodrome. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 3:22-32. [PMID: 36712558 PMCID: PMC9874082 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2021.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with schizophrenia often undergo a prodromal phase prior to diagnosis. Given the absence of significant therapeutic improvements, attention has recently shifted to the possibility of intervention during this early stage to delay or diminish symptom severity or even prevent onset. Unfortunately, the 20 or so trials of intervention to date have not been successful in either preventing onset or improving long-term outcomes in subjects who are at risk of developing schizophrenia. One reason may be that the biological pathways an effective intervention must target are not static. The prodromal phase typically occurs during late adolescence, a period during which a number of brain circuits and structures are still maturing. We propose that developing a deeper understanding of which circuits/processes and brain structures are still maturing at this time and which processes drive the transition to schizophrenia will take us a step closer to developing better prophylactic interventions. Fortunately, such knowledge is now emerging from clinical studies, complemented by work in animal models. Our task here is to describe what would constitute an appropriate animal model to study and to potentially intervene in such processes. Such a model would allow invasive analysis of the cellular and molecular substrates of the progressive neurobiology that defines the schizophrenia prodrome and hopefully offer valuable insights into potential prophylactic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Petty
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Darryl Eyles
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, Queensland, Australia
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49
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Howes OD, Cummings C, Chapman GE, Shatalina E. Neuroimaging in schizophrenia: an overview of findings and their implications for synaptic changes. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:151-167. [PMID: 36056106 PMCID: PMC9700830 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01426-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Over the last five decades, a large body of evidence has accrued for structural and metabolic brain alterations in schizophrenia. Here we provide an overview of these findings, focusing on measures that have traditionally been thought to reflect synaptic spine density or synaptic activity and that are relevant for understanding if there is lower synaptic density in the disorder. We conducted literature searches to identify meta-analyses or other relevant studies in patients with chronic or first-episode schizophrenia, or in people at high genetic or clinical risk for psychosis. We identified 18 meta-analyses including over 50,000 subjects in total, covering: structural MRI measures of gyrification index, grey matter volume, grey matter density and cortical thickness, neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging, PET imaging of regional glucose metabolism and magnetic resonance spectroscopy measures of N-acetylaspartate. We also review preclinical evidence on the relationship between ex vivo synaptic measures and structural MRI imaging, and PET imaging of synaptic protein 2A (SV2A). These studies show that schizophrenia is associated with lower grey matter volumes and cortical thickness, accelerated grey matter loss over time, abnormal gyrification patterns, and lower regional SV2A levels and metabolic markers in comparison to controls (effect sizes from ~ -0.11 to -1.0). Key regions affected include frontal, anterior cingulate and temporal cortices and the hippocampi. We identify several limitations for the interpretation of these findings in terms of understanding synaptic alterations. Nevertheless, taken with post-mortem findings, they suggest that schizophrenia is associated with lower synaptic density in some brain regions. However, there are several gaps in evidence, in particular whether SV2A findings generalise to other cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver D Howes
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK.
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
| | - Connor Cummings
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Clare Hall (College), University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - George E Chapman
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Ekaterina Shatalina
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK
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50
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Safari H, Mashayekhan S. Inflammation and Mental Health Disorders: Immunomodulation as a Potential Therapy for Psychiatric Conditions. Curr Pharm Des 2023; 29:2841-2852. [PMID: 37946352 DOI: 10.2174/0113816128251883231031054700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Mood disorders are the leading cause of disability worldwide and their incidence has significantly increased after the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the continuous surge in the number of people diagnosed with psychiatric disorders, the treatment methods for these conditions remain limited. A significant number of people either do not respond to therapy or discontinue the drugs due to their severe side effects. Therefore, alternative therapeutic interventions are needed. Previous studies have shown a correlation between immunological alterations and the occurrence of mental health disorders, yet immunomodulatory therapies have been barely investigated for combating psychiatric conditions. In this article, we have reviewed the immunological alterations that occur during the onset of mental health disorders, including microglial activation, an increased number of circulating innate immune cells, reduced activity of natural killer cells, altered T cell morphology and functionality, and an increased secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This article also examines key studies that demonstrate the therapeutic efficacy of anti-inflammatory medications in mental health disorders. These studies suggest that immunomodulation can potentially be used as a complementary therapy for controlling psychiatric conditions after careful screening of candidate drugs and consideration of their efficacy and side effects in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanieh Safari
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shohreh Mashayekhan
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
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