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Zhan N, Sham PC, So HC, Lui SSY. The genetic basis of onset age in schizophrenia: evidence and models. Front Genet 2023; 14:1163361. [PMID: 37441552 PMCID: PMC10333597 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1163361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a heritable neurocognitive disorder affecting about 1% of the population, and usually has an onset age at around 21-25 in males and 25-30 in females. Recent advances in genetics have helped to identify many common and rare variants for the liability to schizophrenia. Earlier evidence appeared to suggest that younger onset age is associated with higher genetic liability to schizophrenia. Clinical longitudinal research also found that early and very-early onset schizophrenia are associated with poor clinical, neurocognitive, and functional profiles. A recent study reported a heritability of 0.33 for schizophrenia onset age, but the genetic basis of this trait in schizophrenia remains elusive. In the pre-Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) era, genetic loci found to be associated with onset age were seldom replicated. In the post-Genome-Wide Association Study era, new conceptual frameworks are needed to clarify the role of onset age in genetic research in schizophrenia, and to identify its genetic basis. In this review, we first discussed the potential of onset age as a characterizing/subtyping feature for psychosis, and as an important phenotypic dimension of schizophrenia. Second, we reviewed the methods, samples, findings and limitations of previous genetic research on onset age in schizophrenia. Third, we discussed a potential conceptual framework for studying the genetic basis of onset age, as well as the concepts of susceptibility, modifier, and "mixed" genes. Fourth, we discussed the limitations of this review. Lastly, we discussed the potential clinical implications for genetic research of onset age of schizophrenia, and how future research can unveil the potential mechanisms for this trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Zhan
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Pak C. Sham
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Centre of PanorOmic Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hon-Cheong So
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
- KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research of Common Diseases, Kunming Institute of Zoology and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
- CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
- Margaret K. L. Cheung Research Centre for Management of Parkinsonism, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Hong Kong Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Simon S. Y. Lui
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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2
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Sada-Fuente E, Aranda S, Papiol S, Heilbronner U, Moltó MD, Aguilar EJ, González-Peñas J, Andreu-Bernabeu Á, Arango C, Crespo-Facorro B, González-Pinto A, Fañanás L, Arias B, Bobes J, Costas J, Martorell L, Schulze TG, Kalman JL, Vilella E, Muntané G. Common genetic variants contribute to heritability of age at onset of schizophrenia. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:201. [PMID: 37308478 PMCID: PMC10261125 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02508-0] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a complex disorder that typically arises in late adolescence or early adulthood. Age at onset (AAO) of SCZ is associated with long-term outcomes of the disease. We explored the genetic architecture of AAO with a genome-wide association study (GWAS), heritability, polygenic risk score (PRS), and copy number variant (CNV) analyses in 4 740 subjects of European ancestry. Although no genome-wide significant locus was identified, SNP-based heritability of AAO was estimated to be between 17 and 21%, indicating a moderate contribution of common variants. We also performed cross-trait PRS analyses with a set of mental disorders and identified a negative association between AAO and common variants for SCZ, childhood maltreatment and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. We also investigated the role of copy number variants (CNVs) in AAO and found an association with the length and number of deletions (P-value = 0.03), whereas the presence of CNVs previously reported in SCZ was not associated with earlier onset. To our knowledge, this is the largest GWAS of AAO of SCZ to date in individuals from European ancestry, and the first study to determine the involvement of common variants in the heritability of AAO. Finally, we evidenced the role played by higher SCZ load in determining AAO but discarded the role of pathogenic CNVs. Altogether, these results shed light on the genetic architecture of AAO, which needs to be confirmed with larger studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Sada-Fuente
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Department of Psychiatry, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Reus, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Selena Aranda
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Department of Psychiatry, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Reus, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergi Papiol
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics (IPPG), University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, 80336, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Urs Heilbronner
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics (IPPG), University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - María Dolores Moltó
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Genetics, Universitat de Valencia, 46100, Valencia, Spain
- Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, 46010, Valencia, Spain
| | - Eduardo J Aguilar
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, 46010, Valencia, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia, 46010, Valencia, Spain
- Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Valencia, 46010, Valencia, Spain
| | - Javier González-Peñas
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Gregorio Marañón Health Research Institute (IiSGM), Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, 28007, Madrid, Spain
| | - Álvaro Andreu-Bernabeu
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Gregorio Marañón Health Research Institute (IiSGM), Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, 28007, Madrid, Spain
- Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, 28007, Madrid, Spain
| | - Celso Arango
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Gregorio Marañón Health Research Institute (IiSGM), Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, 28007, Madrid, Spain
- Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, 28007, Madrid, Spain
| | - Benedicto Crespo-Facorro
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidad de Cantabria, 39005, Santander, Cantabria, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla-IDIVAL, 39008, Santander, Cantabria, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Virgen del Rocío, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Sevilla, Spain
| | - Ana González-Pinto
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitario Araba, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Bioaraba, Universidad del País Vasco, 01009, Vitoria, Spain
| | - Lourdes Fañanás
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Barbara Arias
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Julio Bobes
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences - Psychiatry, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006, Oviedo, Spain
- Mental Health Services of Principado de Asturias (SESPA), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011, Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), 33003, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Javier Costas
- Psychiatric Genetics Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Servizo Galego de Saúde (SERGAS), Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), 15706, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Lourdes Martorell
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Department of Psychiatry, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Reus, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Thomas G Schulze
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics (IPPG), University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, 80336, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, 80336, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, US
| | - Janos L Kalman
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics (IPPG), University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, 80336, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Elisabet Vilella
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Department of Psychiatry, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Reus, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Gerard Muntané
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Department of Psychiatry, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Reus, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (UPF-CSIC), Departament de Medicina i Ciències de la Vida, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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The potential use of folate and its derivatives in treating psychiatric disorders: A systematic review. Biomed Pharmacother 2021; 146:112541. [PMID: 34953391 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.112541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine the strengths and limitations of existing data to provide guidance for the use of folate supplements as treatment, with or without other psychotropic medications, in various psychiatric disorders. To identify area for further research in terms of the biosynthesis of mechanism of folate and genetic variants in metabolic pathway in human. METHODS A systematic review of published literature following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, to assess whether folate supplements are beneficial in certain psychiatric disorders (depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Methodology of this review is registered with Prospero (Registration number CRD 42021266605). DATA SOURCES Eligible studies were identified using a systematic search of four electronic databases: Embase, Pubmed, PsycINFO, and Cochrane. The search strategy covered the time period from 1974 to August 16th, 2021. Therefore, this review examines randomized control trials or open-label trials completed during this period. RESULTS We identified 23 studies of folate supplements in various psychiatric disorders for critical review. Of these, 9 studies investigated the efficacy of folate supplements in major depressive disorders, 5 studies in schizophrenia, 6 studies in autism spectrum disorder, 2 studies in bipolar affective disorder and 1 study in attention deficit hyperactive disorder. The most consistent finding association of oral levomefolic acid or 5-methylfolate with improvement in clinical outcomes in mental health conditions as mentioned above, especially in major depressive disorder (including postpartum and post-menopausal depression), schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and bipolar affective disorder. Folate supplements were well tolerated. LIMITATION Our results are not representative of all types of studies such as case reports or case series studies, nor are they representative of the studies conducted in languages that are not in English or not translated in English. CONCLUSION Increasing evidence from clinical trials consistently demonstrate folate supplements, especially levomefolic acid or 5-methylfolate, may improve clinical outcomes for certain psychiatric diseases, especially as an adjunct pharmacotherapy with minimal side effects.
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Guo S, Liu J, Li W, Yang Y, Lv L, Xiao X, Li M, Guan F, Luo XJ. Genome wide association study identifies four loci for early onset schizophrenia. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:248. [PMID: 33907183 PMCID: PMC8079394 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01360-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Early onset schizophrenia (EOS, defined as first onset of schizophrenia before age 18) is a rare form of schizophrenia (SCZ). Though genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified multiple risk variants for SCZ, most of the cases included in these GWASs were not stratified according to their first age at onset. To date, the genetic architecture of EOS remains largely unknown. To identify the risk variants and to uncover the genetic basis of EOS, we conducted a two-stage GWAS of EOS in populations of Han Chinese ancestry in this study. We first performed a GWAS using 1,256 EOS cases and 2,661 healthy controls (referred as discovery stage). The genetic variants with a P < 1.0 × 10-04 in discovery stage were replicated in an independent sample (903 EOS cases and 3,900 controls). We identified four genome-wide significant risk loci for EOS in the combined samples (2,159 EOS cases and 6,561 controls), including 1p36.22 (rs1801133, Pmeta = 4.03 × 10-15), 1p31.1 (rs1281571, Pmeta = 4.14 × 10-08), 3p21.31 (rs7626288, Pmeta = 1.57 × 10-09), and 9q33.3 (rs592927, Pmeta = 4.01 × 10-11). Polygenic risk scoring (PRS) analysis revealed substantial genetic overlap between EOS and SCZ. These discoveries shed light on the genetic basis of EOS. Further functional characterization of the identified risk variants and genes will help provide potential targets for therapeutics and diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suqin Guo
- grid.412990.70000 0004 1808 322XHenan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453002 China ,grid.412990.70000 0004 1808 322XHenan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry, International Joint Research Laboratory for Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453002 China
| | - Jiewei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, 650223, China.
| | - Wenqiang Li
- grid.412990.70000 0004 1808 322XHenan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453002 China ,grid.412990.70000 0004 1808 322XHenan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry, International Joint Research Laboratory for Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453002 China
| | - Yongfeng Yang
- grid.412990.70000 0004 1808 322XHenan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453002 China ,grid.412990.70000 0004 1808 322XHenan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry, International Joint Research Laboratory for Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453002 China
| | - Luxian Lv
- grid.412990.70000 0004 1808 322XHenan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453002 China ,grid.412990.70000 0004 1808 322XHenan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry, International Joint Research Laboratory for Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453002 China
| | - Xiao Xiao
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223 China
| | - Ming Li
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223 China
| | - Fanglin Guan
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, School of Medicine & Forensics, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China.
| | - Xiong-Jian Luo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, 650223, China. .,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China. .,KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, 650223, China.
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Dick-Guareschi J, Fontana JC, Sanseverino MTV, Kubaski F, Sekine L, Mesquita NF, Onsten TGH, Leistner-Segal S. Prevalence of thrombophilia-associated genetic risk factors in blood donors of a regional hospital in southern Brazil. Hematol Transfus Cell Ther 2021; 44:379-385. [PMID: 33775585 PMCID: PMC9477773 DOI: 10.1016/j.htct.2021.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 01/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Thromboembolic events occur due to an imbalance in the hemostasis and some factors associated with this condition can be inherited. In order to evaluate the frequency of genotypes considered to be common hereditary risk factors for thrombophilia associated with venous thrombosis (g.1691G > A and g.20210G > A) and hyperhomocysteinemia (g.677C > T and g.1298A > C), samples from voluntary healthy blood donors at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre were tested. Methods We examined 325 blood samples from blood donors collected from October 2017 to July 2018. Blood was collected on filter paper and the DNA was extracted for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) analysis using the qualitative real time polymerase chain reaction. Results The calculated frequencies of each genetic variant in heterozygosity were 4% for the FV gene (g.1691G > A), 4% for the F2 gene (g.20210G > A) and 42% and 39% for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), g.677C > T and g.1298A > C, respectively. Only the genetic variants of MTHFR were found in homozygosity, with frequencies of 14% and 6% (g.677C > T and g.1298A > C), respectively. Discussion Altogether, these results describe the frequencies of genetic variants associated with venous thrombosis and hyperhomocysteinemia in the analyzed group and are important to enhance our current knowledge about the genetic profiles of Brazilian blood donors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jéssica Dick-Guareschi
- Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | | | - Francyne Kubaski
- Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Leo Sekine
- Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Tor Gunnar Hugo Onsten
- Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Sandra Leistner-Segal
- Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
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Wan L, Wei J. Early-Onset Schizophrenia: A Special Phenotype of the Disease Characterized by Increased MTHFR Polymorphisms and Aggravating Symptoms. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2021; 17:2511-2525. [PMID: 34376980 PMCID: PMC8349230 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s320680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with early-onset schizophrenia usually exhibit more severe symptoms, revealing a potentially distinctive disease phenotype. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a critical enzyme in folate conversion and methylation modification associated with the disease. We aimed to investigate the potential effects of MTHFR polymorphisms and related methylation patterns in patients with early-onset schizophrenia, which implies special phenotypes of schizophrenia. METHODS In 177 patients with schizophrenia, MTHFR polymorphism at three sites (C677T, A1298C, and G1793A) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) were tested. Differential methylation positions (DMPs) and enrichment of genes and related pathways were analyzed by testing the genomic methylation level. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), solute carrier family 6 member 4 (SLC6A4), neuregulin1 (NRG1), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were selected to evaluate the methylation levels of specific CpG regions by pyrosequencing. RESULTS Higher levels of symptom severity and MTHFR polymorphisms and lower levels of global DNA methylation in patients with early-onset schizophrenia were observed in this study. SLC6A4 was hypermethylated, and BDNF was hypomethylated in specific regions of patients with early-onset schizophrenia. CONCLUSION Aggravating symptoms, increased MTHFR polymorphisms, and reduced genomic methylation levels may be characteristics and underlying mechanisms of early-onset schizophrenia, which implies a special disease phenotype. Beyond that, specific genes and biological pathways may imply the potential phenotype of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Wan
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Wei
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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Lodhi RJ, Wang Y, Macintyre G, Crocker C, Loverock A, Henriques BC, Heywood B, Sivapalan S, Bowker A, Majeau B, Bolt C, Bugbee D, Newton V, Tibbo P, Purdon SE, Aitchison KJ. Trend level gene-gender interaction effect for the BDNF rs6265 variant on age of onset of psychosis. Psychiatry Res 2019; 280:112500. [PMID: 31445421 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2019.112500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
A BDNF rs6265 [A/A] by gender by cannabis use interaction has been associated with age of onset of psychosis (AoP). We examined the gender and cannabis use-adjusted association between BDNF rs6265 [G>A] and AKT1 rs2494732 [T>C] and AoP. Data from 167 Caucasians on AoP and age at first regular cannabis use were collected. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were conducted. A trend level gene-gender interaction effect was observed for the BDNF rs6265 A/A genotype, controlling for age at first regular cannabis use. Larger collaborative research projects are required to further investigate this effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohit J Lodhi
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Yabing Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | - Candice Crocker
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | | | | | - Brodie Heywood
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Sudhakar Sivapalan
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Alexandra Bowker
- Neuropsychology Department, Alberta Hospital Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Brett Majeau
- Neuropsychology Department, Alberta Hospital Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Carol Bolt
- Neuropsychology Department, Alberta Hospital Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Darren Bugbee
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Virginia Newton
- Neuropsychology Department, Alberta Hospital Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Philip Tibbo
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada; Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Scot E Purdon
- Neuropsychology Department, Alberta Hospital Edmonton, AB, Canada; Edmonton Early Intervention in Psychosis Clinic, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Katherine J Aitchison
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Edmonton Early Intervention in Psychosis Clinic, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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Wan L, Zhang G, Liu M, Wang C, Li Y, Li R. Sex-specific effects of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase polymorphisms on schizophrenia with methylation changes. Compr Psychiatry 2019; 94:152121. [PMID: 31476590 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2019.152121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is the critical enzyme in biotransformation. The polymorphism of MTHFR is a risk factor for schizophrenia. However, whether the MTHFR polymorphism is associated with schizophrenia disease phenotypes and what is the underlying mechanism of MTHFR polymorphism in schizophrenia is under-investigated. In this study, we aim to verify the correlation between MTHFR polymorphisms and clinical features of schizophrenia, while exploring the differential genomic methylation and disease related genes as the potential targets for schizophrenia. METHOD 242 patients of schizophrenia and 234 matched healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Polymorphisms of MTHFR from three sites (C677T, A1298C, G1793A) were examined by Taqman fluorescence probe method in leukocytes from all subjects. The positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS), trail making test (TMT) and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) were checked on patients. Genomic methylation was tested and analyzed in fields of differential methylation positions (DMPs) and enrichment of genes that are potentially related to schizophrenia. RESULTS Schizophrenic patients showed higher frequency of MTHFR polymorphisms at both single and multiple sites than healthy controls. Our data also showed that MTHFR C677T and multiple-site polymorphisms were positively correlated with PANSS positive rating, not negative score in male schizophrenia patients. Furthermore, while a significant reduction of global DNA methylation level was observed in schizophrenic patients, we also identified several genes which differentiated between schizophrenia and healthy controls at methylation levels. CONCLUSIONS This is a pilot study revealing that MTHFR polymorphisms at both single and multiple sites are related to the risk of schizophrenia and positive symptom of the disease. The risk of MTHFR polymorphism in schizophrenia and the clinical symptoms was only significant in male patients. While the sex-specific risk of MTHFR in schizophrenia is new and the reasons remain unanswered. Our methylation analysis suggested that there was significant hypomethylation of genomic DNA in schizophrenia patients with no sex difference. The correlation between MTHFR polymorphism and schizophrenia may attribute to the change of DNA methylation level, and some certain genes could be potential research objects for MTHFR effects on schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Wan
- Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; Advanced Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Guofu Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Beijing 100088, China
| | - Min Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Beijing 100088, China
| | - Chuanyue Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Beijing 100088, China
| | - Yuhong Li
- Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; Advanced Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Rena Li
- Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; Advanced Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Beijing 100088, China; Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA.
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Orenbuch A, Fortis K, Taesuwan S, Yaffe R, Caudill MA, Golan HM. Prenatal Nutritional Intervention Reduces Autistic-Like Behavior Rates Among Mthfr-Deficient Mice. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:383. [PMID: 31133774 PMCID: PMC6511811 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The causes and contributing factors of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are poorly understood. One gene associated with increased risk for ASD is methylenetetrahydrofolate-reductase (MTHFR), which encodes a key enzyme in one carbon (C1) metabolism. The MTHFR 677C > T polymorphism reduces the efficiency of methyl group production with possible adverse downstream effects on gene expression. In this study, the effects of prenatal and/or postnatal diets enriched in C1 nutrients on ASD-like behavior were evaluated in Mthfr-deficient mice. Differences in intermediate pathways between the mice with and without ASD-like behaviors were tested. The findings indicate that maternal and offspring Mthfr deficiency increased the risk for an ASD-like phenotype in the offspring. The risk of ASD-like behavior was reduced in Mthfr-deficient mice supplemented with C1 nutrients prenatally. Specifically, among offspring of Mthfr+/- dams, prenatal diet supplementation was protective against ASD-like symptomatic behavior compared to the control diet with an odds ratio of 0.18 (CI:0.035, 0.970). Changes in major C1 metabolites, such as the ratios between betaine/choline and SAM/SAH in the cerebral-cortex, were associated with ASD-like behavior. Symptomatic mice presenting ASD-like behavior showed decreased levels of GABA pathway proteins such as GAD65/67 and VGAT and altered ratios of the glutamate receptor subunits GluR1/GluR2 in males and NR2A/NR2B in females. The altered ratios, in turn, favor receptor subunits with higher sensitivity to neuronal activity. Our study suggests that MTHFR deficiency can increase the risk of ASD-like behavior in mice and that prenatal dietary intervention focused on MTHFR genotypes can reduce the risk of ASD-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayelet Orenbuch
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Keren Fortis
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Siraphat Taesuwan
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States.,Division of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Raz Yaffe
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Marie A Caudill
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Hava M Golan
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel.,Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
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Wan L, Li Y, Zhang Z, Sun Z, He Y, Li R. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase and psychiatric diseases. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:242. [PMID: 30397195 PMCID: PMC6218441 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0276-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a key enzyme for the critical process of one-carbon metabolism involving folate and homocysteine metabolisms. It is known that some polymorphism of MTHFR would result in reduction of MTHFR enzyme activity as well as DNA methylation process, later shown to have significant impacts in various psychiatric diseases. However, it is unclear whether the polymorphism of MTHFR could be an independent or an add-on risk factor for specific psychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, positive, or negative symptoms of schizophrenia, or acts as risk factor for specific psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, major depression, autisms, and bipolar disorders. It is also understudied on whether folate supplements could be an effective treatment for psychiatric patients with defect MTHFR activity. In this review, we not only gathered the most recent discoveries on MTHFR polymorphism and related DNA methylation in various psychiatric disorders, but also highlighted the potential relationships between MTHFR activity and implication of folate-related function in specific mental diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Wan
- Center for Brain Disorders Research, Capital Medical University & Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Yuhong Li
- Center for Brain Disorders Research, Capital Medical University & Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Zhengrong Zhang
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100088, China
| | - Zuoli Sun
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100088, China
| | - Yi He
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100088, China
| | - Rena Li
- Center for Brain Disorders Research, Capital Medical University & Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Beijing, 100069, China.
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100088, China.
- Center for Hormone Advanced Science and Education, Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, FL, 34243, USA.
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Association study of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genetic polymorphism 677C>T with schizophrenia in hospitalized patients in population of European Russia. Asian J Psychiatr 2018; 32:29-33. [PMID: 29202425 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2017.11.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of the research was to investigate the association of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (hereinafter MTHFR) genetic polymorphism 677C>T with schizophrenia in the Russian population in comparison with the control group of healthy blood donors. Also some characteristics of schizophrenia were examined in patients with/without defective T-allele of MTHFR677C>T polymorphism. 500 patients with schizophrenia and 499 blood donors were examined for T-allele carriage of polymorphism MTHFR677C>T by PCR method. 150 archival medical records were studied (in the first patients included in the study). The carriage of T-allele of genetic polymorphism MTHFR677C>T was significantly more common in patients than in healthy donors: 255/500 versus 219/499 (p=0,0287, χ2=4,79; OR=1,33, 95%CI [1037; 1707]). The number of patients with chronic type of schizophrenia onset was significantly more among T-allele carriers (n=77) than among normal CC-genotype carriers (n=73): р=0.038. The number of "incapacitated" persons in the group of patients with defective T-allele (n=77) was significantly higher than in patients with normal genotype (n=73, p=0.0439; OR=2.878, 95%CI=1.111-7.456). The results suggest that T-allele of genetic polymorphism MTHFR677C>T in the population of European Russia may increase the risk of developing schizophrenia and its unfavorable prognosis, which requires further investigation.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE After the discovery of 'homocystinuria syndrome', many studies have suggested that high blood levels of homocysteine may be associated with schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to analyse the association between hyperhomocysteinaemia and schizophrenia. METHODS In a population of inpatients suffering from exacerbated schizophrenic disorders (N=100), we evaluated homocysteine levels the day after their admission to an acute psychiatric ward and compared it with that of a non-patient control group (N=110), matched for age and gender. We statistically analysed the correlation between homocysteine levels and selected variables: gender, age, years of illness and number of previous psychiatric admissions as well as Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Positive Negative Syndrome Scale and Global Assessment Functioning (GAF) Scores. RESULTS We observed elevated homocysteine levels (an increase of 7.84 µM on average per patient) in 32% of the patients, but we did not find any statistically significant difference between the homocysteine levels of our patients and controls. Hyperhomocysteinaemia presented a positive statistically significant correlation with years of illness (p<0.005) and a negative statistically significant correlation with GAF score (p<0.001), but not with other clinical variables. CONCLUSIONS Hyperhomocysteinaemia, which occurred in our schizophrenia patients with poor social and relational functioning after many years of illness, could represent an effect of altered lifestyle due to psychosis, but not a specific marker for schizophrenia.
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Dionisio Tavares Niewiadonski V, dos Santos Bianchi JV, de Almeida-Neto C, Gaburo N, Sabino EC. Evaluation of a high throughput method for the detection of mutations associated with thrombosis and hereditary hemochromatosis in Brazilian blood donors. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0125460. [PMID: 25955572 PMCID: PMC4425487 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the OpenArray platform for genetic testing of blood donors and to assess the genotype frequencies of nucleotide-polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with venous thrombosis (G1691A and G20210A), hyperhomocysteinemia (C677T, A1298C), and hereditary hemochromatosis (C282Y, H63D and S65C) in blood donors from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Methods We examined 400 blood donor samples collected from October to November 2011. The SNPs were detected using OpenArray technology. The blood samples were also examined using a real-time PCR–FRET system to compare the results and determine the accuracy of the OpenArray method. Results We observed 100% agreement in all assays tested, except HFE C282Y, which showed 99.75% agreement. The HFE C282Y assay was further confirmed through direct sequencing, and the results showed that OpenArray analysis was accurate. The calculated frequencies of each SNP were FV G1691A 98.8% (G/G), 1.2% (G/A); FII G2021A 99.5% (G/G), 0.5% (G/A); MTHFR C677T 45.5% (C/C), 44.8% (C/T), 9.8% (T/T); MTHFR A1298C 60.3% (A/A), 33.6% (A/C), 6.1% (C/C); HFE C282Y 96%(G/G), 4%(G/A), HFE H63D 78.1%(C/C), 20.3% (C/G), 1.6% (G/G); and HFE S65C 98.1% (A/A), 1.9% (A/T). Conclusion Taken together, these results describe the frequencies of SNPs associated with diseases and are important to enhance our current knowledge of the genetic profiles of Brazilian blood donors, although a larger study is needed for a more accurate determination of the frequency of the alleles. Furthermore, the OpenArray platform showed a high concordance rate with standard FRET RT-PCR.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Nelson Gaburo
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics, DASA, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ester Cerdeira Sabino
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Infectious Disease, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Misiak B, Frydecka D, Slezak R, Piotrowski P, Kiejna A. Elevated homocysteine level in first-episode schizophrenia patients--the relevance of family history of schizophrenia and lifetime diagnosis of cannabis abuse. Metab Brain Dis 2014; 29:661-70. [PMID: 24682777 PMCID: PMC4125810 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-014-9534-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2013] [Accepted: 03/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence indicates that elevated homocysteine (Hcy) level occurs in first-episode schizophrenia (FES) patients. We included 56 FES patients and 53 healthy controls (HC). Plasma level of Hcy was significantly higher in FES patients than HC (p = 0.044). In addition, plasma levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and folate were significantly lower in FES than in HC (p < 0.001). Positive family history of schizophrenia was associated with lower plasma HDL (p = 0.041) and vitamin B12 (p = 0.017), as well as higher level of Hcy (p = 0.017). Patients with FES, who abused cannabis, had higher levels of Hcy (p = 0.017), as well as lower levels of vitamin B12 (p = 0.017) and HDL (p = 0.041). Plasma Hcy negatively correlated with duration of untreated psychosis (r = -0.272, p = 0.042). There was a positive correlation between Hcy level and the severity of negative symptoms (r = 0.363, p = 0.006) and general psychopathology (r = 0.349, p = 0.008) assessed using Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Vitamin B12 level was negatively associated with the severity of negative symptoms (r = -0.406, p = 0.002), while folate level negatively correlated with general psychopathology score (r = -0.365, p = 0.006) in PANSS. These results indicate that the severity of one-carbon metabolism alterations and HDL deficiency might be associated with family history of schizophrenia and cannabis abuse. Lower vitamin B12 and folate along with elevated Hcy may influence the severity of FES psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blazej Misiak
- Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, 10 Pasteur Street, 50-367, Wroclaw, Poland,
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Mitchell ES, Conus N, Kaput J. B vitamin polymorphisms and behavior: evidence of associations with neurodevelopment, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and cognitive decline. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 47:307-20. [PMID: 25173634 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2013] [Revised: 07/11/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The B vitamins folic acid, vitamin B12 and B6 are essential for neuronal function, and severe deficiencies have been linked to increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, psychiatric disease and dementia. Polymorphisms of genes involved in B vitamin absorption, metabolism and function, such as methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), cystathionine β synthase (CβS), transcobalamin 2 receptor (TCN2) and methionine synthase reductase (MTRR), have also been linked to increased incidence of psychiatric and cognitive disorders. However, the effects of these polymorphisms are often quite small and many studies failed to show any meaningful or consistent associations. This review discusses previous findings from clinical studies and highlights gaps in knowledge. Future studies assessing B vitamin-associated polymorphisms must take into account not just traditional demographics, but subjects' overall diet, relevant biomarkers of nutritional status and also analyze related genetic factors that may exacerbate behavioral effects or nutritional status.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Siobhan Mitchell
- Nestle Institute of Health Science, Innovation Park, EPFL Campus, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland.
| | - Nelly Conus
- Nestle Institute of Health Science, Innovation Park, EPFL Campus, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Jim Kaput
- Nestle Institute of Health Science, Innovation Park, EPFL Campus, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
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MTHFR gene polymorphism and age of onset of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 2014:318483. [PMID: 25101272 PMCID: PMC4101969 DOI: 10.1155/2014/318483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2014] [Revised: 05/20/2014] [Accepted: 06/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Objective. Several studies with contradictory results from different cultures about association of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism in schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. Little is known about this association in Arab culture and Egypt. So the present study aimed to assess the association of MTHFR C677T polymorphism in bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia in comparison to control group. The association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and the age at onset in schizophrenia or BD was also studied. Methods. Polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) were used to examine the genotype and allele frequencies of MTHFR C677T polymorphism in 149 healthy subjects and 134 bipolar and 103 schizophrenia patients. Results. In BD and schizophrenia, there was a higher prevalence of MTHFR C677T polymorphism than healthy subjects. Earlier age at onset was found in patients with BD, carrying one copy of the T allele or CT genotypes but not in patients with schizophrenia. Conclusion. The present findings suggest that the MTHFR C677T polymorphisms are likely to be associated with the risk of developing BD and schizophrenia and influence the age at onset of BD but not the age at onset of schizophrenia.
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Current and emergent treatments for symptoms and neurocognitive impairment in schizophrenia. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 1:107-120. [PMID: 26301175 DOI: 10.1007/s40501-014-0010-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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SOX10 rs139883 polymorphism is associated with the age of onset in schizophrenia. J Mol Neurosci 2013; 50:333-8. [PMID: 23456610 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-013-9982-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2012] [Accepted: 02/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a common psychiatric disorder with high heritability. The age of onset is an important phenotype of schizophrenia and may be under considerable genetic control. Our previous study showed that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs139887 in sex-determining region Y-box 10 (SOX10) gene was associated with the age of onset in schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of another SNP rs139883 in the exon 4 of SOX10 on schizophrenia using an early-onset samples in the Han Chinese population. A total of 309 schizophrenic patients with onset before age 18 and 390 healthy controls were recruited for association study. No significant differences of allele or genotype frequencies were identified between the schizophrenic patients and controls. However, the C allele was significantly associated with an earlier age of onset in total patients and male patients (Kaplan-Meier log rank test P = 0.026; Kaplan-Meier log rank test P = 0.047, respectively), but not in females. In conclusion, the SOX10 rs139883 polymorphism influenced the age of onset of schizophrenia in a gender-specific manner and this may represent a vital genetic clue for the etiology of schizophrenia.
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Saetre P, Grove J, Børglum AD, Mors O, Werge T, Andreassen OA, Vares M, Agartz I, Terenius L, Jönsson EG. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism and age at onset of schizophrenia: no consistent evidence for an association in the Nordic population. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2012; 159B:981-6. [PMID: 23076983 PMCID: PMC3739001 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2011] [Accepted: 09/24/2012] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is an enzyme involved in metabolic pathways of importance for nucleotide synthesis and methylation of DNA, membranes, proteins and lipids. The MTHFR gene includes a common polymorphism (rs1801133 or C677T), which is associated with enzyme activity. The T-allele of the C677T polymorphism has been associated with earlier age at onset of schizophrenia in a Scandinavian population, although no association was found in replication attempts in other populations. Extending the study to five Nordic samples consisting of 2,198 patients with schizophrenia, including the original Scandinavian samples, there was no significant association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and age at onset in schizophrenia. The present results do not suggest that the investigated MTHFR polymorphism has any significant influence on age at onset of schizophrenia in the Nordic population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Saetre
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and HospitalStockholm, Sweden
| | - Jakob Grove
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus UniversityAarhus, Denmark
- Bioinformatics Research Centre (BiRC), Aarhus UniversityAarhus, Denmark
- deCODE GeneticsReykjavik, Iceland
| | - Anders D Børglum
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus UniversityAarhus, Denmark
- Center for Psychiatric Research, Aarhus University HospitalAarhus, Denmark
| | - Ole Mors
- Center for Psychiatric Research, Aarhus University HospitalAarhus, Denmark
| | - Thomas Werge
- Research Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Copenhagen University HospitalRoskilde, Denmark
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- Institute of Psychiatry, University of OsloOslo, Norway
- Department Psychiatry, Oslo University Hospital—UllevålOslo, Norway
| | - Maria Vares
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and HospitalStockholm, Sweden
| | - Ingrid Agartz
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and HospitalStockholm, Sweden
- Institute of Psychiatry, University of OsloOslo, Norway
- Department of Psychiatry, Section Vinderen, University of OsloOslo, Norway
| | - Lars Terenius
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and HospitalStockholm, Sweden
| | - Erik G Jönsson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and HospitalStockholm, Sweden
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Association between MTHFR C677T and A1298C, and MTRR A66G polymorphisms and susceptibility to schizophrenia in a Syrian study cohort. Asian J Psychiatr 2012; 5:144-9. [PMID: 22813657 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2012.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2012] [Revised: 03/15/2012] [Accepted: 03/25/2012] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The folate-homocystiene metabolic pathway has been shown to be involved in the susceptibility for developing schizophrenia by several studies. In the present study we investigated the role of three common polymorphisms of the folate-homocysteine metabolic pathway in an Arab population from Syria consisting of 85 schizophrenic patients and 126 healthy controls. The studied polymorphisms included the MTHFR C677T and A1298C, and MTRR A66G, all of which result into amino acid changes, and were previously shown to yield decreased enzymatic activity and alter plasma homocysteine concentration. While MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphisms were not previously studied in an Arab population with respect to the susceptibility for developing schizophrenia, the MTRR A66G was not previously investigated in any population around the world. Our results indicated a strong association between MTHFR A1298C and schizophrenia. The variant C allele frequency was significantly higher in the patients group (40% vs 29.4%, OR=1.6, 95% CI (1.06-2.41), p=0.023). A statistically significant association was found for MTHFR 677TT genotype under the recessive model in the male patients subgroup (OR=2.6, 95% CI (1.04-6.5), p=0.036), and MTHFR 677CT genotype under the overdominant model in the total patients group (OR=0.52 95% CI (0.29-0.92), p=0.024). No statistically significant association was found for MTRR A66G polymorphism on an individual basis. However, a borderline association was found for the CC/GG (C677T/A66G) compound genotype (OR=2.24, 95% CI (0.97-5.15), p=0.053). Our results support the hypothesis of association between schizophrenia and folate-homocystiene metabolic pathway genes.
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Wang KS, Liu X, Zhang Q, Aragam N, Pan Y. Genome-wide association analysis of age at onset in schizophrenia in a European-American sample. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2011; 156B:671-80. [PMID: 21688384 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.31209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2010] [Accepted: 05/26/2011] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
We performed a genome-wide association analysis to identify genetic variants influencing age at onset (AAO) and examine gene × gender interactions for AAO in schizophrenia (SCZ) using a European-American sample (1,162 cases). Linear regression model in PLINK was used to test for associations with AAO while the GxE option was chosen to test for the influence of gene × gender interactions. The most significant association with AAO was observed with SNP rs7819815 (P = 3.10×10(-7)) at 8q24.22. The next best signal was at 4q25 in COL25A1 gene (rs17039583, P = 4.30×10(-6)) and the third region was at 4p16.1 (rs17407555, P = 4.56×10(-6) , near RAF1P1, and rs4697924, P = 1.23×10(-5) within WDR1 gene). Conditional analysis on chromosome 4 indicated that 4p16.1 and 4q25 loci were independent. Furthermore, 2 SNPs (rs16834822 and rs16834824) at 1q43 in RYR2 showed strong associations in the female sample (P = 2.10×10(-6) and 2.33×10(-6) , respectively) and strong gene × gender interactions in influencing AAO (P = 9.23×10(-7) and 1.15×10(-6) , respectively) while the second best region showing gene × gender interaction was at 7q22.3 (rs179863, P = 2.33×10(-6) ). Using an independent sample of 1,068 cases, we could not replicate the associations for above top SNPs; however, we found nominal significance associations for their flanking SNPs (P < 0.05). These findings provide evidence of several genetic variants influencing AAO of SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke-Sheng Wang
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, 37614-1700, USA.
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22
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Blumkin E, Levav-Rabkin T, Melamed O, Galron D, Golan HM. Gender-specific effect of Mthfr genotype and neonatal vigabatrin interaction on synaptic proteins in mouse cortex. Neuropsychopharmacology 2011; 36:1714-28. [PMID: 21490592 PMCID: PMC3138666 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2011.52] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The enzyme methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a part of the homocysteine and folate metabolic pathways, affecting the methylations of DNA, RNA, and proteins. Mthfr deficiency was reported as a risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Neonatal disruption of the GABAergic system is also associated with behavioral outcomes. The interaction between the epigenetic influence of Mthfr deficiency and neonatal exposure to the GABA potentiating drug vigabatrin (GVG) in mice has been shown to have gender-dependent effects on mice anxiety and to have memory impairment effects in a gender-independent manner. Here we show that Mthfr deficiency interacts with neonatal GABA potentiation to alter social behavior in female, but not male, mice. This impairment was associated with a gender-dependent enhancement of proteins implicated in excitatory synapse plasticity in the female cortex. Reelin and fragile X mental retardation 1 protein (FMRP) levels and membrane GluR1/GluR2 ratios were elevated in wild-type mice treated neonatally with GVG and in Mthfr+/- mice treated with saline, but not in Mthfr+/- mice treated with GVG, compared with control groups (wild type treated with saline). A minor influence on the levels of these proteins was observed in male mice cortices, possibly due to high basal protein levels. Interaction between gender, genotype, and treatment was also observed in the GABA pathway. In female mice, GABA Aα2/gephyrin ratios were suppressed in all test groups; in male mice, a genotype-specific enhancement of GABA Aα2/gephyrin was observed. The lack of an effect on either reln or Fmr1 transcription suggests post-transcriptional regulation of these genes. Taken together, these findings suggest that Mthfr deficiency may interact with neonatal GABA potentiation in a gender-dependent manner to interrupt synaptic function. This may illustrate a possible mechanism for the epigenetic involvement of Mthfr deficiency in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elinor Blumkin
- Department of Developmental Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel,Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Tamar Levav-Rabkin
- Department of Developmental Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel,Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Osnat Melamed
- Department of Developmental Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel,Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Dalia Galron
- Department of Developmental Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Hava M Golan
- Department of Developmental Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel,Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel,Department of Developmental Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel, Tel: +972 8 647 9974, Fax: +972 8 627 6215, E-mail:
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MTHFR 677C>T effects on anterior cingulate structure and function during response monitoring in schizophrenia: a preliminary study. Brain Imaging Behav 2011; 5:65-75. [PMID: 21190096 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-010-9111-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Patients with schizophrenia exhibit deficient response monitoring as indexed by blunted activation of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and functionally related regions during error commission. This pattern may reflect heritable alterations of dACC function. We examined whether the hypofunctional 677C>T variant in MTHFR, a candidate schizophrenia risk gene, contributed to our previous findings of blunted error-related dACC activation and reduced microstructural integrity of dACC white matter. Eighteen medicated outpatients with schizophrenia underwent diffusion tensor imaging and performed an antisaccade paradigm during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). T allele carriers exhibited significantly less error-related activation than C/C patients in bilateral dACC and substantia nigra, regions that are thought to mediate dopamine-dependent error-based reinforcement learning. T carrier patients also showed significantly lower fractional anisotropy in bilateral dACC. These findings suggest that the MTHFR 677T allele blunts response monitoring in schizophrenia, presumably via effects on dopamine signaling and dACC white matter microstructural integrity.
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Decoster J, van Os J, Kenis G, Henquet C, Peuskens J, De Hert M, van Winkel R. Age at onset of psychotic disorder: cannabis, BDNF Val66Met, and sex-specific models of gene-environment interaction. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2011; 156B:363-9. [PMID: 21305693 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.31174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2010] [Accepted: 12/30/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Discovering modifiable predictors for age at onset may help to identify predictors of transition to psychotic disorder in the "at-risk mental state." Inconsistent effects of sex, BDNF Val66Met (rs6265), and cannabis use on age of onset were previously reported. BDNF Val66Met and cannabis use before illness onset were retrospectively assessed in a sample of 585 patients with schizophrenia and their association with age at onset was evaluated. Cannabis use was significantly associated with earlier age at onset of psychotic disorder (AOP; average difference 2.7 years, P < 0.001), showing dose-response effects with higher frequency and earlier age at first use. There was a weak association between BDNF Val66Met genotype and AOP (difference 1.2 years; P = 0.050). No evidence was found for BDNF × cannabis interaction (interaction χ(2) (1) = 0.65, P = 0.420). However, a significant BDNF × cannabis × sex interaction was found (interaction χ(2) (1) = 4.99, P = 0.026). In female patients, cannabis use was associated with earlier AOP in BDNF Met-carriers (difference 7 years), but not in Val/Val-genotypes. In male patients, cannabis use was associated with earlier AOP irrespective of BDNF Val66Met genotype (difference 1.3 years). BDNF Val66Met genotype in the absence of cannabis use did not influence AOP, neither in female or male patients with psychotic disorder. Complex interactions between cannabis and BDNF may shape age at onset in female individuals at risk of psychotic disorder. No compelling evidence was found that BDNF genotype is associated with age at onset of psychotic disorder in the absence of cannabis use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen Decoster
- University Psychiatric Centre Catholic University Leuven, Kortenberg, Belgium
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Chan A, Ortiz D, Rogers E, Shea TB. Supplementation with apple juice can compensate for folate deficiency in a mouse model deficient in methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase activity. J Nutr Health Aging 2011; 15:221-5. [PMID: 21369671 DOI: 10.1007/s12603-010-0295-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Folate insufficiency promotes developmental as well as age-related disorders of the nervous system. The C677T variant of 5',10' methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR; which utilizes folate to regenerate methionine from homocysteine) displays reduced activity, and therefore promotes functional folate deficiency. Mice heterozygously lacking this gene (MTHFR+/- mice) represent a useful model for analysis of the impact of MTHFR deficiency and potential compensatory approaches. Since consumption of apple products has benefited mouse models subjected to dietary and/or genetically-induced folate deficiency, we compared the impact of supplementation with apple juice on cognitive and neuromuscular performance of mice MTHFR+/+ and +/- mice with and without dietary folate deficiency. Mice were maintained for 1 month on a standard, complete diet, or a challenge diet lacking folate, and vitamin E and containing a 50 g iron/500 g total diet as a pro-oxidant. Additional groups received apple juice concentrate (AJC) diluted to 0.5% (vol/vol) in their sole source of drinking water. MTHFR+/- mice demonstrated significantly impaired cognitive performance in standard reward-based T maze and the non-reward-based Y maze tests as compared to MTHFR+/+ when maintained on the complete diet; supplementation with AJC improved the performance of MTHFR+/- to the level observed for MTHFR+/+ mice. Maintenance for 1 month on the deficient diet reduced the performance of both genotypes in both tests, but supplementation with AJC prevented these reductions. MTHFR+/+ and +/- displayed virtually identical neuromuscular performance in the standard paw grip endurance test when maintained on the complete diet, and displayed similar, non-significant declines in performance when maintained on the deficient diet. Supplementation of either diet with AJC dramatically improved the performance of both genotypes. The findings presented herein indicate that supplementation with AJCs can compensate for genetic as well as dietary insufficiency in folate in a murine model of genetic folate compromise, and support the notion that dietary supplementation may be more critical under conditions of latent genetic compromise.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Chan
- Center for Cellular Neurobiology and Neurodegeneration Research, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
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26
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Peerbooms O, Rutten BPF, Decoster J, van Os J, Kenis G, De Hert M, van Winkel R. No association between MTHFR C677T or A1298C and age at onset of schizophrenia. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2010; 153B:1362-3; author reply 1361. [PMID: 20593383 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.31114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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