Telomere Length As a Marker of Suicidal Risk in Schizophrenia

Overview

Journal Consort Psychiatr

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2024 Jul 24

PMID 39045115

Authors

Natalia Zakharova

Lidia Bravve

Galina Mamedova

Maria Kaydan

Elizaveta Ershova

Andrey Martynov

Natalia Veiko

Svetlana Kostyuk

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Schizophrenia and suicidal behavior are associated with shortening in the length of telomeres. The aim of the study was to compare the content (pg/mcg) of telomeric repeat in DNA isolated from peripheral blood cells in three groups of subjects: patients with schizophrenia and a history of suicide attempts, patients with schizophrenia without suicidal tendencies, and healthy control volunteers.

Methods: Relapses according to gender and age were examined in 47 patients with schizophrenia with suicidal behavior, 47 patients without self-destructive conditions, and 47 volunteers with healthy control and maintenance for the content of telomeric and the number of copies of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in peripheral blood leukocytes.

Results: Analysis of determining the content of telomeric repeat (TR) in the DNA of massive weight gain in the series: patients with schizophrenia and suicidal attempts - patients with schizophrenia without suicidal observations - healthy controls (225±28.4 (227 [190; 250]) vs. 243±21 (245 [228; 260]) vs. 255±17.9 (255 [242; 266]), <0.005. The same trend is observed for the number of mtDNA copies (257±101.5 (250 [194; 297])) vs. 262.3±59.3 (254 [217; 312]) vs. 272±79.9 (274 [213; 304]); =0.012), but no significant differences were recorded.

Conclusions: For the first time, the phenomenon of telomere shortening was discovered in schizophrenics with suicidal risk. The length of the telomere corresponds to the parameter of a biological marker - an objectively measured indicator of normal or pathological processes, but gaining an idea of its reliability is still necessary for verification with an assessment of its sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value. The telomere may be considered a putative predictive indicator of suicidal risk.

References

Li Z, Hu M, Zong X, He Y, Wang D, Dai L . Association of telomere length and mitochondrial DNA copy number with risperidone treatment response in first-episode antipsychotic-naïve schizophrenia. Sci Rep. 2015; 5:18553. PMC: 4683467. DOI: 10.1038/srep18553. View

Roberts C, Sindhu K . Oxidative stress and metabolic syndrome. Life Sci. 2009; 84(21-22):705-12. DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2009.02.026. View

Polho G, De-Paula V, Cardillo G, Dos Santos B, Kerr D . Leukocyte telomere length in patients with schizophrenia: A meta-analysis. Schizophr Res. 2015; 165(2-3):195-200. DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2015.04.025. View

Kao H, Cawthon R, DeLisi L, Bertisch H, Ji F, Gordon D . Rapid telomere erosion in schizophrenia. Mol Psychiatry. 2008; 13(2):118-9. DOI: 10.1038/sj.mp.4002105. View

Nordentoft M, Jeppesen P, Abel M, Kassow P, Petersen L, Thorup A . OPUS study: suicidal behaviour, suicidal ideation and hopelessness among patients with first-episode psychosis. One-year follow-up of a randomised controlled trial. Br J Psychiatry Suppl. 2002; 43:s98-106. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.181.43.s98. View

Lagouge M, Larsson N . The role of mitochondrial DNA mutations and free radicals in disease and ageing. J Intern Med. 2013; 273(6):529-43. PMC: 3675642. DOI: 10.1111/joim.12055. View

MILES C . Conditions predisposing to suicide: a review. J Nerv Ment Dis. 1977; 164(4):231-46. DOI: 10.1097/00005053-197704000-00002. View

Hor K, Taylor M . Suicide and schizophrenia: a systematic review of rates and risk factors. J Psychopharmacol. 2010; 24(4 Suppl):81-90. PMC: 2951591. DOI: 10.1177/1359786810385490. View

Emanuela F, Grazia M, Marco D, Maria Paola L, Giorgio F, Marco B . Inflammation as a Link between Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome. J Nutr Metab. 2012; 2012:476380. PMC: 3317136. DOI: 10.1155/2012/476380. View

10.

Otsuka I, Izumi T, Boku S, Kimura A, Zhang Y, Mouri K . Aberrant telomere length and mitochondrial DNA copy number in suicide completers. Sci Rep. 2017; 7(1):3176. PMC: 5466636. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03599-8. View

11.

Kumar P, Efstathopoulos P, Millischer V, Olsson E, Wei Y, Brustle O . Mitochondrial DNA copy number is associated with psychosis severity and anti-psychotic treatment. Sci Rep. 2018; 8(1):12743. PMC: 6109159. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31122-0. View

12.

Bhat A, Dar K, Anees S, Zargar M, Masood A, Sofi M . Oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and neurodegenerative diseases; a mechanistic insight. Biomed Pharmacother. 2015; 74:101-10. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2015.07.025. View

13.

Kirkpatrick B, Messias E, Harvey P, Fernandez-Egea E, Bowie C . Is schizophrenia a syndrome of accelerated aging?. Schizophr Bull. 2007; 34(6):1024-32. PMC: 2632500. DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbm140. View

14.

Thong J, Su A, Chan Y, Chia B . Suicide in psychiatric patients: case-control study in Singapore. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2008; 42(6):509-19. DOI: 10.1080/00048670802050553. View

15.

Saha S, Chant D, McGrath J . A systematic review of mortality in schizophrenia: is the differential mortality gap worsening over time?. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2007; 64(10):1123-31. DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.64.10.1123. View

16.

Emamian E, Hall D, Birnbaum M, Karayiorgou M, Gogos J . Convergent evidence for impaired AKT1-GSK3beta signaling in schizophrenia. Nat Genet. 2004; 36(2):131-7. DOI: 10.1038/ng1296. View

17.

Shivakumar V, Kalmady S, Venkatasubramanian G, Ravi V, Gangadhar B . Do schizophrenia patients age early?. Asian J Psychiatr. 2014; 10:3-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2014.02.007. View

18.

Li X, Jope R . Is glycogen synthase kinase-3 a central modulator in mood regulation?. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2010; 35(11):2143-54. PMC: 3055312. DOI: 10.1038/npp.2010.105. View

19.

Spano L, Etain B, Meyrel M, Hennion V, Gross G, Laplanche J . Telomere length and mitochondrial DNA copy number in bipolar disorder: identification of a subgroup of young individuals with accelerated cellular aging. Transl Psychiatry. 2022; 12(1):135. PMC: 8975957. DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01891-4. View

20.

Montross L, Zisook S, Kasckow J . Suicide among patients with schizophrenia: a consideration of risk and protective factors. Ann Clin Psychiatry. 2006; 17(3):173-82. DOI: 10.1080/10401230591002156. View