Exploration of Epigenetic Mechanisms and Biomarkers Among Patients with Very-Late-Onset Schizophrenia-Like Psychosis

Yansha Gan,1,* Weihua Yue,2,* JiaoJiao Sun,1 DanTing Yang,1 ChunXia Fang,1 Zhenhe Zhou,1 JiaJun Yin,1 Hongliang Zhou3 1The Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214151, People’s Republic of China; 2National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorder...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Gan Y, Yue W, Sun J, Yang D, Fang C, Zhou Z, Yin J, Zhou H
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Dove Medical Press 2025-04-01
Series:Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.dovepress.com/exploration-of-epigenetic-mechanisms-and-biomarkers-among-patients-wit-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-NDT
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849316100030857216
author Gan Y
Yue W
Sun J
Yang D
Fang C
Zhou Z
Yin J
Zhou H
author_facet Gan Y
Yue W
Sun J
Yang D
Fang C
Zhou Z
Yin J
Zhou H
author_sort Gan Y
collection DOAJ
description Yansha Gan,1,* Weihua Yue,2,* JiaoJiao Sun,1 DanTing Yang,1 ChunXia Fang,1 Zhenhe Zhou,1 JiaJun Yin,1 Hongliang Zhou3 1The Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214151, People’s Republic of China; 2National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Peking University Sixth Hospital, Beijing, 100191, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Psychology, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi City, Jiangsu, 214100, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: JiaJun Yin, The Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214151, People’s Republic of China, Email yinjiajun@jiangnan.edu.cn Hongliang Zhou, Department of Psychology, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, No. 200, Huihe Road, Binhu District, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China, Email Hongliangzh2022@hotmail.comObjective: This study aimed to identify DNA methylation patterns associated with Very Late-Onset Schizophrenia-like Psychosis (VLOSLP) and to develop methylation-based biomarkers that differentiate VLOSLP from Schizophrenia (SCZ) and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).Methods: We analyzed methylation microarray datasets (n = 1218) from SCZ and AD patients obtained from the GEO database. We then collected blood samples from VLOSLP patients and age-matched healthy controls (n = 80) at the Wuxi Mental Health Center for methylation microarray profiling and bisulfite sequencing validation. Differential methylation analysis and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis identified candidate loci. We prioritized key methylation sites through integrated analysis of methylation quantitative trait loci (meQTL), linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns, and blood-brain methylation correlations. Machine learning algorithms generated diagnostic models, with classification performance evaluated using Area Under the Curve (AUC) metrics.Results: Analysis revealed distinct DNA methylation signatures in VLOSLP patients compared to controls. The GNB5 gene exhibited shared epigenetic modifications across SCZ, AD, and VLOSLP, suggesting a common pathogenic mechanism. The diagnostic model discriminating AD from VLOSLP demonstrated high accuracy, achieving an AUC of 1.0 in the training set and 0.958 in the test set (95% CI: 0.875– 1.000). The AD versus SCZ classification model showed similar robustness, with AUCs of 0.995 and 0.955 in training and test sets, respectively (95% CI: 0.926– 0.983). The SCZ versus VLOSLP model achieved perfect discrimination (AUC = 1.0) in both training and test sets, with substantial clinical utility. Additional analyses suggested distinct molecular subtypes within VLOSLP.Conclusion: Specific DNA methylation alterations in VLOSLP are identified as potential diagnostic biomarkers. These findings may contribute to the development of molecular diagnostic tools, though further validation in larger, independent cohorts is warranted.Keywords: very late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis, epigenetics schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, biomarkers
format Article
id doaj-art-ea5287c579f64e719b7ad7469fed393f
institution Kabale University
issn 1178-2021
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher Dove Medical Press
record_format Article
series Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment
spelling doaj-art-ea5287c579f64e719b7ad7469fed393f2025-08-20T03:51:58ZengDove Medical PressNeuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment1178-20212025-04-01Volume 21927942102285Exploration of Epigenetic Mechanisms and Biomarkers Among Patients with Very-Late-Onset Schizophrenia-Like PsychosisGan YYue WSun JYang DFang CZhou ZYin JZhou HYansha Gan,1,* Weihua Yue,2,* JiaoJiao Sun,1 DanTing Yang,1 ChunXia Fang,1 Zhenhe Zhou,1 JiaJun Yin,1 Hongliang Zhou3 1The Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214151, People’s Republic of China; 2National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Peking University Sixth Hospital, Beijing, 100191, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Psychology, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi City, Jiangsu, 214100, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: JiaJun Yin, The Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214151, People’s Republic of China, Email yinjiajun@jiangnan.edu.cn Hongliang Zhou, Department of Psychology, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, No. 200, Huihe Road, Binhu District, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China, Email Hongliangzh2022@hotmail.comObjective: This study aimed to identify DNA methylation patterns associated with Very Late-Onset Schizophrenia-like Psychosis (VLOSLP) and to develop methylation-based biomarkers that differentiate VLOSLP from Schizophrenia (SCZ) and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).Methods: We analyzed methylation microarray datasets (n = 1218) from SCZ and AD patients obtained from the GEO database. We then collected blood samples from VLOSLP patients and age-matched healthy controls (n = 80) at the Wuxi Mental Health Center for methylation microarray profiling and bisulfite sequencing validation. Differential methylation analysis and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis identified candidate loci. We prioritized key methylation sites through integrated analysis of methylation quantitative trait loci (meQTL), linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns, and blood-brain methylation correlations. Machine learning algorithms generated diagnostic models, with classification performance evaluated using Area Under the Curve (AUC) metrics.Results: Analysis revealed distinct DNA methylation signatures in VLOSLP patients compared to controls. The GNB5 gene exhibited shared epigenetic modifications across SCZ, AD, and VLOSLP, suggesting a common pathogenic mechanism. The diagnostic model discriminating AD from VLOSLP demonstrated high accuracy, achieving an AUC of 1.0 in the training set and 0.958 in the test set (95% CI: 0.875– 1.000). The AD versus SCZ classification model showed similar robustness, with AUCs of 0.995 and 0.955 in training and test sets, respectively (95% CI: 0.926– 0.983). The SCZ versus VLOSLP model achieved perfect discrimination (AUC = 1.0) in both training and test sets, with substantial clinical utility. Additional analyses suggested distinct molecular subtypes within VLOSLP.Conclusion: Specific DNA methylation alterations in VLOSLP are identified as potential diagnostic biomarkers. These findings may contribute to the development of molecular diagnostic tools, though further validation in larger, independent cohorts is warranted.Keywords: very late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis, epigenetics schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, biomarkershttps://www.dovepress.com/exploration-of-epigenetic-mechanisms-and-biomarkers-among-patients-wit-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-NDTvery late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosisepigenetics schizophreniaalzheimer’s diseasebiomarkers
spellingShingle Gan Y
Yue W
Sun J
Yang D
Fang C
Zhou Z
Yin J
Zhou H
Exploration of Epigenetic Mechanisms and Biomarkers Among Patients with Very-Late-Onset Schizophrenia-Like Psychosis
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment
very late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis
epigenetics schizophrenia
alzheimer’s disease
biomarkers
title Exploration of Epigenetic Mechanisms and Biomarkers Among Patients with Very-Late-Onset Schizophrenia-Like Psychosis
title_full Exploration of Epigenetic Mechanisms and Biomarkers Among Patients with Very-Late-Onset Schizophrenia-Like Psychosis
title_fullStr Exploration of Epigenetic Mechanisms and Biomarkers Among Patients with Very-Late-Onset Schizophrenia-Like Psychosis
title_full_unstemmed Exploration of Epigenetic Mechanisms and Biomarkers Among Patients with Very-Late-Onset Schizophrenia-Like Psychosis
title_short Exploration of Epigenetic Mechanisms and Biomarkers Among Patients with Very-Late-Onset Schizophrenia-Like Psychosis
title_sort exploration of epigenetic mechanisms and biomarkers among patients with very late onset schizophrenia like psychosis
topic very late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis
epigenetics schizophrenia
alzheimer’s disease
biomarkers
url https://www.dovepress.com/exploration-of-epigenetic-mechanisms-and-biomarkers-among-patients-wit-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-NDT
work_keys_str_mv AT gany explorationofepigeneticmechanismsandbiomarkersamongpatientswithverylateonsetschizophrenialikepsychosis
AT yuew explorationofepigeneticmechanismsandbiomarkersamongpatientswithverylateonsetschizophrenialikepsychosis
AT sunj explorationofepigeneticmechanismsandbiomarkersamongpatientswithverylateonsetschizophrenialikepsychosis
AT yangd explorationofepigeneticmechanismsandbiomarkersamongpatientswithverylateonsetschizophrenialikepsychosis
AT fangc explorationofepigeneticmechanismsandbiomarkersamongpatientswithverylateonsetschizophrenialikepsychosis
AT zhouz explorationofepigeneticmechanismsandbiomarkersamongpatientswithverylateonsetschizophrenialikepsychosis
AT yinj explorationofepigeneticmechanismsandbiomarkersamongpatientswithverylateonsetschizophrenialikepsychosis
AT zhouh explorationofepigeneticmechanismsandbiomarkersamongpatientswithverylateonsetschizophrenialikepsychosis