TY - JOUR
T1 - Telomere biology and its maintenance in schizophrenia spectrum disorders
T2 - Exploring links to cognition
AU - Mlakar, Vid
AU - Akkouh, Ibrahim
AU - Halff, Els F.
AU - Srivastava, Deepak P.
AU - Birkenæs, Viktoria
AU - Ueland, Torill
AU - Quintana, Daniel S.
AU - Ormerod, Monica B.E.G.
AU - Steen, Nils Eiel
AU - Djurovic, Srdjan
AU - Andreassen, Ole A.
AU - Aas, Monica
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors
PY - 2024/10
Y1 - 2024/10
N2 - Objective: Contemporary research suggests reduced telomere length in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SZ) compared to age-adjusted non-affected individuals. However, the role of telomere maintenance and telomere repair in SZ is poorly understood as well as the involvement of telomere biology in cognitive abnormalities in SZ. Methods: The study consisted of 758 participants (SZ [n = 357] and healthy controls, HC [n = 401]) collected as part of the Norwegian TOP study. Participants were assessed with standardized neuropsychological tests measuring five cognitive domains. Leucocyte telomere length (TL) was measured via blood and determined by quantitative real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) providing a telomere to single copy ratio (T/S ratio), used to estimate the mean telomere length. Telomerase activity was assessed by the expression levels of the Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (TERT) and Telomerase RNA Component (TERC) genes. To assess telomere maintenance and telomere repair we calculated the telomerase expression to TL ratio (TERT/TL and TERC/TL respectively). Results: Patients had reduced TERT (F = 5.03, p = 0.03), but not TERC expression (F = 1.04, p = 0.31), and higher TERT/TL (F = 6.68, p = 0.01) and TERC/TL (F = 6.71, p = 0.01), adjusted for age, sex, and ethnicity. No statistically significant association was observed between any of the telomere biology markers and the cognitive domains (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Our study shows changes in TERT expression and telomere maintenance and telomere repair in SZ compared HC. However, the role of telomere biology in the mechanism underlying cognitive impairment in psychosis seems limited.
AB - Objective: Contemporary research suggests reduced telomere length in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SZ) compared to age-adjusted non-affected individuals. However, the role of telomere maintenance and telomere repair in SZ is poorly understood as well as the involvement of telomere biology in cognitive abnormalities in SZ. Methods: The study consisted of 758 participants (SZ [n = 357] and healthy controls, HC [n = 401]) collected as part of the Norwegian TOP study. Participants were assessed with standardized neuropsychological tests measuring five cognitive domains. Leucocyte telomere length (TL) was measured via blood and determined by quantitative real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) providing a telomere to single copy ratio (T/S ratio), used to estimate the mean telomere length. Telomerase activity was assessed by the expression levels of the Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (TERT) and Telomerase RNA Component (TERC) genes. To assess telomere maintenance and telomere repair we calculated the telomerase expression to TL ratio (TERT/TL and TERC/TL respectively). Results: Patients had reduced TERT (F = 5.03, p = 0.03), but not TERC expression (F = 1.04, p = 0.31), and higher TERT/TL (F = 6.68, p = 0.01) and TERC/TL (F = 6.71, p = 0.01), adjusted for age, sex, and ethnicity. No statistically significant association was observed between any of the telomere biology markers and the cognitive domains (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Our study shows changes in TERT expression and telomere maintenance and telomere repair in SZ compared HC. However, the role of telomere biology in the mechanism underlying cognitive impairment in psychosis seems limited.
KW - Cognitive impairments
KW - Schizophrenia spectrum disorders
KW - Telomerase expression
KW - Telomeres/telomere length maintenance and repair
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85202460956&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.schres.2024.08.011
DO - 10.1016/j.schres.2024.08.011
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85202460956
SN - 0920-9964
VL - 272
SP - 89
EP - 95
JO - Schizophrenia Research
JF - Schizophrenia Research
ER -
