1
|
Dypås LB, Duale N, Olsen AK, Bustamante M, Maitre L, Escaramis G, Julvez J, Aguilar-Lacasaña S, Andrusaityte S, Casas M, Vafeiadi M, Grazuleviciene R, Heude B, Lepeule J, Urquiza J, Wright J, Yang TC, Vrijheid M, Gützkow KB. Blood miRNA levels associated with ADHD traits in children across six European birth cohorts. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:696. [PMID: 37749515 PMCID: PMC10521440 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05199-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent and highly heritable neurodevelopmental disorder of major societal concern. Diagnosis can be challenging and there are large knowledge gaps regarding its etiology, though studies suggest an interplay of genetic and environmental factors involving epigenetic mechanisms. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) show promise as biomarkers of human pathology and novel therapies, and here we aimed to identify blood miRNAs associated with traits of ADHD as possible biomarker candidates and further explore their biological relevance. METHODS Our study population consisted of 1126 children (aged 5-12 years, 46% female) from the Human Early Life Exposome study, a study spanning six ongoing population-based European birth cohorts. Expression profiles of miRNAs in whole blood samples were quantified by microarray and tested for association with ADHD-related measures of behavior and neuropsychological functions from questionnaires (Conner's Rating Scale and Child Behavior Checklist) and computer-based tests (the N-back task and Attention Network Test). RESULTS We identified 29 miRNAs significantly associated (false discovery rate < .05) with the Conner's questionnaire-rated trait hyperactivity, 15 of which have been linked to ADHD in previous studies. Investigation into their biological relevance revealed involvement in several pathways related to neurodevelopment and function, as well as being linked with other neurodevelopmental or psychiatric disorders known to overlap with ADHD both in symptomology, genetic risk, and co-occurrence, such as autism spectrum disorder or schizophrenia. An additional three miRNAs were significantly associated with Conner's-rated inattention. No associations were found with questionnaire-rated total ADHD index or with computer-based tests. CONCLUSIONS The large overlap of our hyperactivity-associated miRNAs with previous studies on ADHD is intriguing and warrant further investigation. Though this study should be considered explorative and preliminary, these findings contribute towards identifying a set of miRNAs for use as blood-based biomarkers to aid in earlier and easier ADHD diagnosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lene B Dypås
- Division of Climate and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Nur Duale
- Division of Climate and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ann-Karin Olsen
- Division of Climate and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Mariona Bustamante
- Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Lea Maitre
- Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Geòrgia Escaramis
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Julvez
- Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Clinical and Epidemiological Neuroscience (NeuroÈpia), Institut d'investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Reus, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Sofia Aguilar-Lacasaña
- Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sandra Andrusaityte
- Department of Environmental Science, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Maribel Casas
- Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marina Vafeiadi
- Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | | | - Barbara Heude
- Centre of Research in Epidemiology and Statistics (CRESS), Inserm, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Johanna Lepeule
- Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM, CNRS, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, La Tronche, France
| | - Jose Urquiza
- Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - John Wright
- Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford, UK
| | - Tiffany C Yang
- Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford, UK
| | - Martine Vrijheid
- Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Kristine B Gützkow
- Division of Climate and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| |
Collapse
|