Age-associated Decrease in Global DNA Methylation in Patients with Major Depression

Overview

Journal Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat

Publisher Dove Medical Press

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2014 Nov 25

PMID 25419133

Citations 20

Authors

Ping-Tao Tseng

Pao-Yen Lin

Yu Lee

Chi-Fa Hung

For-Wey Lung

Cheng-Sheng Chen

Mian-Yoon Chong

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Evidence has supported a role of DNA methylation in the pathophysiology of mood disorders. The purpose of the current study is to examine 5-methylcytosine (5-mc) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmc) levels in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) at different disease states.

Methods: Forty-nine patients with MDD and 25 healthy control subjects were included. The severity in the disease was assessed by using the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale of Depression (HAM-D) (HAM-D ≥19 for severe MDD and HAM-D ≤7 for remitted MDD). The 5-mc and 5-hmc levels in leukocyte DNA were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based method.

Results: We found a significant decrease in 5-hmc and trends of decreasing 5-mc levels in patients with severe MDD compared to healthy controls (P=0.059 for 5-mc and P=0.013 for 5-hmc). The decrease in the level exists only in the older age group (P=0.035 for 5-mc and P=0.002 for 5-hmc) but not in the younger age group (P=0.077 for 5-mc and P=0.620 for 5-hmc). In addition, the 5-mc level was found to be inversely correlated with disease severity (P=0.011).

Conclusion: Our results support a decrease in global DNA methylation associated with age in patients with severe depression. Further studies are needed to clarify the role of the methylation level as a disease marker of depression and whether antidepressant treatment changes the methylation profiles.

Citing Articles

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The Tet2-Upf1 complex modulates mRNA stability under stress conditions.

Xia M, Yan R, Wang W, Kong A, Zhang M, Miao Z Front Genet. 2023; 14:1158954.

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