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A subtype of schizophrenia patients with altered methylation level of genes related to immune cell activity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 March 2024

Chunyan Luo ,
Xuenan Pi ,
Qi Zhang ,
Na Hu ,
Yuan Xiao ,
John A. Sweeney ,
Jeffrey R. Bishop ,
Qiyong Gong ,
Dan Xie  and
Su Lui Open the ORCID record for Su Lui [Opens in a new window]
Chunyan Luo
Affiliation:
Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, Functional and molecular imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China Psychoradiology Research Unit of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2018RU011), West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Xuenan Pi
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Omics Technology and Bioinformatics, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Qi Zhang
Affiliation:
Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, Functional and molecular imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China Psychoradiology Research Unit of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2018RU011), West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Na Hu
Affiliation:
Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, Functional and molecular imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China Psychoradiology Research Unit of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2018RU011), West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Yuan Xiao
Affiliation:
Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, Functional and molecular imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China Psychoradiology Research Unit of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2018RU011), West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
John A. Sweeney
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati OH 45219, USA
Jeffrey R. Bishop
Affiliation:
Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Qiyong Gong
Affiliation:
Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, Functional and molecular imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China Psychoradiology Research Unit of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2018RU011), West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Dan Xie*
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Omics Technology and Bioinformatics, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Su Lui*
Affiliation:
Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, Functional and molecular imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China Psychoradiology Research Unit of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2018RU011), West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
*
Corresponding author: Dan Xie; Email: danxie@scu.edu.cn; Su Lui; Email: lusuwcums@hotmail.com
Corresponding author: Dan Xie; Email: danxie@scu.edu.cn; Su Lui; Email: lusuwcums@hotmail.com
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Abstract

Background

Epigenetic changes are plausible molecular sources of clinical heterogeneity in schizophrenia. A subgroup of schizophrenia patients with elevated inflammatory or immune-dysregulation has been reported by previous studies. However, little is known about epigenetic changes in genes related to immune activation in never-treated first-episode patients with schizophrenia (FES) and its consistency with that in treated long-term ill (LTS) patients.

Methods

In this study, epigenome-wide profiling with a DNA methylation array was applied using blood samples of both FES and LTS patients, as well as their corresponding healthy controls. Non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) and k -means clustering were performed to parse heterogeneity of schizophrenia, and the consistency of subtyping results from two cohorts. was tested.

Results

This study identified a subtype of patients in FES participants (47.5%) that exhibited widespread methylation level alterations of genes enriched in immune cell activity and a significantly higher proportion of neutrophils. This clustering of FES patients was validated in LTS patients, with high correspondence in epigenetic and clinical features across two cohorts

Conclusions

In summary, this study demonstrated a subtype of schizophrenia patients across both FES and LTS cohorts, defined by widespread alterations in methylation profile of genes related to immune function and distinguishing clinical features. This finding illustrates the promise of novel treatment strategies targeting immune dysregulation for a subpopulation of schizophrenia patients.

Keywords

DNA methylationfirst-episodeimmune dysfunctionschizophreniasubtype
Type
Original Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , First View , pp. 1 - 9
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

*

Chunyan Luo and Xuenan Pi contribute equally to this work.

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