Cited by 260Epigenetics and DNA MethylationTreatment of Major DepressionGenetic Associations and Epidemiology

Epigenetic aging in major depressive disorder

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Han, Laura K.M., Aghajani, Moji, Clark, Shaunna L., Chan, Robin F., Hattab, Mohammad W., Shabalin, Andrey A., Zhao, Min, Kumar, Gaurav +7 more·2018·American Journal of Psychiatry

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Major depressive disorder is associated with an increased risk of mortality and aging-related diseases. The authors examined whether major depression is associated with higher epigenetic aging in blood as measured by DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns, whether clinical characteristics of major depression have a further impact on these patterns, and whether the findings replicate in brain tissue. METHOD: DNAm age was estimated using all methylation sites in blood of 811 depressed patients and 319 control subjects with no lifetime psychiatric disorders and low depressive symptoms from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety. The residuals of the DNAm age estimates regressed on chronological age were calculated to indicate epigenetic aging. Major depression diagnosis and clinical characteristics were assessed with questionnaires and psychiatric interviews. Analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, and health status. Postmortem brain samples of 74 depressed patients and 64 control subjects were used for replication. Pathway enrichment analysis was conducted using ConsensusPathDB to gain insight into the biological processes underlying epigenetic aging in blood and brain. RESULTS: Significantly higher epigenetic aging was observed in patients with major depression compared with control subjects (Cohen's d=0.18), with a significant dose effect with increasing symptom severity in the overall sample. In the depression group, epigenetic aging was positively and significantly associated with childhood trauma score. The case-control difference was replicated in an independent data set of postmortem brain samples. The top significantly enriched Gene Ontology terms included neuronal processes. CONCLUSIONS: As compared with control subjects, patients with major depression exhibited higher epigenetic aging in blood and brain tissue, suggesting that they are biologically older than their corresponding chronological age. This effect was even more profound in the presence of childhood trauma.

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Crossref · 10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.17060595

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  • Increased epigenetic aging has also been found to be associated with the categorical phenotype of major depression.

    “Increased epigenetic aging has also found to be associated with the categorical phenotype of major depression (Han et al., 2018).”
  • Elevated DNA methylation of BDNF and increased biological age estimated from DNA methylation loci have been observed in individuals with various psychopathologies.

    “For example, elevated DNA methylation of a gene important for neuronal development (BDNF) 4,24 and increased biological age estimated from a defined selection of DNA methylation loci have been observed in individuals with various psychopathologies.12,25”

    From The role of epigenetics in psychological resilience (2021) · cites this paper as [12]

  • Depression predisposes to medical illnesses and advances biological aging, indicated by shorter telomere length, accelerated brain aging and advanced epigenetic aging.

    “Depression predisposes to medical illnesses and advances biological aging indicated by shorter telomere length, accelerated brain aging and advanced epigenetic aging.”

    From Mechanisms and treatment of late-life depression (2019) · cites this paper as [1]

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  1. [34]Horvath S: DNA methylation age of human tissues and cell types. [Internet]. Genome Biol 2013; 14: R115 Available from: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=4015143&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract 24138928 PMC4015143

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Authors
Han, L. K. M., Aghajani, M., Clark, S. L., Chan, R. F., Hattab, M. W., Shabalin, A. A., Zhao, M., Kumar, G., Xie, L. Y., Jansen, R., Milaneschi, Y., Dean, B., Aberg, K. A., van den Oord, E. J. C. G., & Penninx, B. W. J. H.
Affiliations
  • Virginia Commonwealth University (US)
  • From the Department of Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam Neuroscience, GGZ inGeest, the Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam; the Center for Biomarker Research and Precision Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond; the Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia; and the Centre for Mental Health, Faculty of Health, Arts, and Design, Swinburne University, Hawthorne, Australia.
Venue
American Journal of Psychiatry
Published
2018-08
Volume
175
Issue
8
Pages
774-782
ISSN
  • 0002-953X (ISSN-L)
  • 1535-7228
OpenAlex
W2800301228
Cited by
260
References
54
Citations by year
2026: 28 · 2025: 30 · 2024: 39 · 2023: 33 · 2022: 36 · 2021: 37 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 29 · 2018: 4
FWCI
8.18
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • American Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Pure Amsterdam UMC (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • Amsterdam UMC (VU Amsterdam) - Institutional Repository (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Minerva Access (University of Melbourne) (submittedVersion)
  • Swinburne figshare (Swinburne University of Technology) (submittedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Stanley Medical Research Institute
  • Victorian Brain Bank
  • Medical Research Council
  • National Health and Medical Research Council
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (R01AA026057, K01AA021266)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH099110)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
Keywords
major depressive disorder, epigenetic aging, DNA methylation, childhood trauma, symptom severity, postmortem brain, blood DNA methylation, neural processes, age-related diseases
MeSH terms
Adult Survivors of Child Adverse Events, Adult, Aging, Brain, Major Depressive Disorder, Female, Health Status, Humans, Life Style, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Netherlands, Case-Control Studies, DNA Methylation

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