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Liu WS, Zhang YR, Ge YJ, Wang HF, Cheng W, Yu JT. Inflammation and Brain Structure in Alzheimer's Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Disorders: a Mendelian Randomization Study. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:1593-1604. [PMID: 37736795 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03648-6] [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: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Previous in vitro and post-mortem studies have reported the role of inflammation in neurodegenerative disorders. However, the association between inflammation and brain structure in vivo and the transcriptome-driven functional basis with relevance to neurodegenerative disorders remains elusive. The aim of the present study is to identify the association among inflammation, brain structure, and neurodegenerative disorders at genetic and transcriptomic levels. Genetic variants associated with inflammatory cytokines were selected from the latest and largest genome-wide association studies of European ancestry. Neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and brain structure imaging measures were selected as the outcomes. Two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses were conducted to identify the causal associations. Single-nucleus transcriptome data of the occipitotemporal cortex was further analyzed to identify the differential expressed genes in AD, which were tested for biological processes and protein interaction network. MR analysis indicated that genetically predicted TREM2 and sTREM2 were significantly associated with AD (TREM2: z-score = -9.088, p-value = 1.02 × 10-19; sTREM2: z-score = -7.495, p-value = 6.61 × 10-14). The present study found no evidence to support the causal associations between other inflammatory cytokines and the risks of AD, PD, ALS, or DLB. Genetically predicted TREM2 was significantly associated with the cortical thickness of inferior temporal (z-score = -4.238, p-value = 2.26 × 10-5) and pole temporal (z-score = -4.549, p-value = 5.40 × 10-6). In the occipitotemporal cortex samples, microglia were the main source of TREM2 gene and showed increasing expression of genes associated with inflammation and immunity. The present study has leveraged genetic and transcriptomic data to identify the association among TREM2, temporal lobe, and AD and the underlying cellular and molecular basis, thus providing a new perspective on the role of TREM2 in AD and insights into the complex associations among inflammation, brain structure, and neurodegenerative disorders, particularly AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Shi Liu
- Department of Neurology and National Center for Neurological Disorders, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ya-Ru Zhang
- Department of Neurology and National Center for Neurological Disorders, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi-Jun Ge
- Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Hui-Fu Wang
- Department of Neurology and National Center for Neurological Disorders, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Cheng
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
- Fudan ISTBI-ZJNU Algorithm Centre for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Jin-Tai Yu
- Department of Neurology and National Center for Neurological Disorders, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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Eva L, Pleș H, Covache-Busuioc RA, Glavan LA, Bratu BG, Bordeianu A, Dumitrascu DI, Corlatescu AD, Ciurea AV. A Comprehensive Review on Neuroimmunology: Insights from Multiple Sclerosis to Future Therapeutic Developments. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2489. [PMID: 37760930 PMCID: PMC10526343 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11092489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
This review delves into neuroimmunology, focusing on its relevance to multiple sclerosis (MS) and potential treatment advancements. Neuroimmunology explores the intricate relationship between the immune system and the central nervous system (CNS). Understanding these mechanisms is vital for grasping the pathophysiology of diseases like MS and for devising innovative treatments. This review introduces foundational neuroimmunology concepts, emphasizing the role of immune cells, cytokines, and blood-brain barrier in CNS stability. It highlights how their dysregulation can contribute to MS and discusses genetic and environmental factors influencing MS susceptibility. Cutting-edge research methods, from omics techniques to advanced imaging, have revolutionized our understanding of MS, offering valuable diagnostic and prognostic tools. This review also touches on the intriguing gut-brain axis, examining how gut microbiota impacts neuroimmunological processes and its potential therapeutic implications. Current MS treatments, from immunomodulatory drugs to disease-modifying therapies, are discussed alongside promising experimental approaches. The potential of personalized medicine, cell-based treatments, and gene therapy in MS management is also explored. In conclusion, this review underscores neuroimmunology's significance in MS research, suggesting that a deeper understanding could pave the way for more tailored and effective treatments for MS and similar conditions. Continued research and collaboration in neuroimmunology are essential for enhancing patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucian Eva
- Clinical Emergency Hospital “Prof. Dr. Nicolae Oblu”, 700309 Iasi, Romania;
| | - Horia Pleș
- Department of Neurosurgery, Centre for Cognitive Research in Neuropsychiatric Pathology (NeuroPsy-Cog), “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Razvan-Adrian Covache-Busuioc
- Department of Neurosurgery, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 București, Romania; (L.A.G.); (B.-G.B.); (A.B.); (D.-I.D.); (A.D.C.); (A.V.C.)
| | - Luca Andrei Glavan
- Department of Neurosurgery, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 București, Romania; (L.A.G.); (B.-G.B.); (A.B.); (D.-I.D.); (A.D.C.); (A.V.C.)
| | - Bogdan-Gabriel Bratu
- Department of Neurosurgery, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 București, Romania; (L.A.G.); (B.-G.B.); (A.B.); (D.-I.D.); (A.D.C.); (A.V.C.)
| | - Andrei Bordeianu
- Department of Neurosurgery, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 București, Romania; (L.A.G.); (B.-G.B.); (A.B.); (D.-I.D.); (A.D.C.); (A.V.C.)
| | - David-Ioan Dumitrascu
- Department of Neurosurgery, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 București, Romania; (L.A.G.); (B.-G.B.); (A.B.); (D.-I.D.); (A.D.C.); (A.V.C.)
| | - Antonio Daniel Corlatescu
- Department of Neurosurgery, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 București, Romania; (L.A.G.); (B.-G.B.); (A.B.); (D.-I.D.); (A.D.C.); (A.V.C.)
| | - Alexandru Vlad Ciurea
- Department of Neurosurgery, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 București, Romania; (L.A.G.); (B.-G.B.); (A.B.); (D.-I.D.); (A.D.C.); (A.V.C.)
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Williams JA, Burgess S, Suckling J, Lalousis PA, Batool F, Griffiths SL, Palmer E, Karwath A, Barsky A, Gkoutos GV, Wood S, Barnes NM, David AS, Donohoe G, Neill JC, Deakin B, Khandaker GM, Upthegrove R. Inflammation and Brain Structure in Schizophrenia and Other Neuropsychiatric Disorders: A Mendelian Randomization Study. JAMA Psychiatry 2022; 79:498-507. [PMID: 35353173 PMCID: PMC8968718 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.0407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Importance Previous in vitro and postmortem research suggests that inflammation may lead to structural brain changes via activation of microglia and/or astrocytic dysfunction in a range of neuropsychiatric disorders. Objective To investigate the relationship between inflammation and changes in brain structures in vivo and to explore a transcriptome-driven functional basis with relevance to mental illness. Design, Setting, and Participants This study used multistage linked analyses, including mendelian randomization (MR), gene expression correlation, and connectivity analyses. A total of 20 688 participants in the UK Biobank, which includes clinical, genomic, and neuroimaging data, and 6 postmortem brains from neurotypical individuals in the Allen Human Brain Atlas (AHBA), including RNA microarray data. Data were extracted in February 2021 and analyzed between March and October 2021. Exposures Genetic variants regulating levels and activity of circulating interleukin 1 (IL-1), IL-2, IL-6, C-reactive protein (CRP), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were used as exposures in MR analyses. Main Outcomes and Measures Brain imaging measures, including gray matter volume (GMV) and cortical thickness (CT), were used as outcomes. Associations were considered significant at a multiple testing-corrected threshold of P < 1.1 × 10-4. Differential gene expression in AHBA data was modeled in brain regions mapped to areas significant in MR analyses; genes were tested for biological and disease overrepresentation in annotation databases and for connectivity in protein-protein interaction networks. Results Of 20 688 participants in the UK Biobank sample, 10 828 (52.3%) were female, and the mean (SD) age was 55.5 (7.5) years. In the UK Biobank sample, genetically predicted levels of IL-6 were associated with GMV in the middle temporal cortex (z score, 5.76; P = 8.39 × 10-9), inferior temporal (z score, 3.38; P = 7.20 × 10-5), fusiform (z score, 4.70; P = 2.60 × 10-7), and frontal (z score, -3.59; P = 3.30 × 10-5) cortex together with CT in the superior frontal region (z score, -5.11; P = 3.22 × 10-7). No significant associations were found for IL-1, IL-2, CRP, or BDNF after correction for multiple comparison. In the AHBA sample, 5 of 6 participants (83%) were male, and the mean (SD) age was 42.5 (13.4) years. Brain-wide coexpression analysis showed a highly interconnected network of genes preferentially expressed in the middle temporal gyrus (MTG), which further formed a highly connected protein-protein interaction network with IL-6 (enrichment test of expected vs observed network given the prevalence and degree of interactions in the STRING database: 43 nodes/30 edges observed vs 8 edges expected; mean node degree, 1.4; genome-wide significance, P = 4.54 × 10-9). MTG differentially expressed genes that were functionally enriched for biological processes in schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, and epilepsy. Conclusions and Relevance In this study, genetically determined IL-6 was associated with brain structure and potentially affects areas implicated in developmental neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A. Williams
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, Centre for Computational Biology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Institute for Translational Medicine, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Health Data Research UK (HRD), Midlands Site, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen Burgess
- Medical Research Council Biostatistics Unit, Cambridge Institute of Public Health, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - John Suckling
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Paris Alexandros Lalousis
- Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Fatima Batool
- Medical Research Council Biostatistics Unit, Cambridge Institute of Public Health, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sian Lowri Griffiths
- Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Edward Palmer
- Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Karwath
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, Centre for Computational Biology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Institute for Translational Medicine, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Health Data Research UK (HRD), Midlands Site, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Andrey Barsky
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, Centre for Computational Biology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Institute for Translational Medicine, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Georgios V. Gkoutos
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, Centre for Computational Biology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Institute for Translational Medicine, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Health Data Research UK (HRD), Midlands Site, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen Wood
- Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Orygen, Melbourne, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nicholas M. Barnes
- Institute for Clinical Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony S. David
- Institute of Mental Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gary Donohoe
- School of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
- Centre for Neuroimaging, Cognition and Genomics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Joanna C. Neill
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Bill Deakin
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Golam M. Khandaker
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, Bristol, United Kingdom
- NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel Upthegrove
- Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Early Intervention Service, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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