title: Hypermethylation of FOXP3 Promoter and Premature Aging of the Immune System in Female Patients with Panic Disorder?
abstract: Immunological abnormalities associated with pathological conditions, such as higher infection rates, inflammatory diseases, cancer or cardiovascular events are common in patients with panic disorder. In the present study, T cell receptor excision circles (TRECs), Forkhead-Box-Protein P3 gene (FOXP3) methylation of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and relative telomere lengths (RTLs) were investigated in a total and subsamples of 131 patients with panic disorder as compared to 131 age- and sex-matched healthy controls in order to test for a potential dysfunction and premature aging of the immune system in anxiety disorders. Significantly lower TRECs (p = 0.004) as well as significant hypermethylation of the FOXP3 promoter region (p = 0.005) were observed in female (but not in male) patients with panic disorder as compared to healthy controls. No difference in relative telomere length was discerned between patients and controls, but significantly shorter telomeres in females, smokers and older persons within the patient group. The presently observed reduced TRECs in panic disorder patients and FOXP3 hypermethylation in female patients with panic disorder potentially reflect impaired thymus and immunosuppressive Treg function, which might partly account for the known increased morbidity and mortality of anxiety disorders conferred by e.g. cancer and cardiovascular disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prelog
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hilligardt
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Internal Medicine C, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Internal Medicine C, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.|Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Grzegorz K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Przybylski
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leierer
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Almanzar
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Genetics, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Nady
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: El Hajj
authors.affiliation: Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus-Peter
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Lesch
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Arolt
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany.|Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universtät Munich, Munich, Germany.|kbo-Inn-Salzach-Klinikum, Wasserburg am Inn, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zwanzger
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Genetics, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haaf
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Domschke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016922:Cellular Senescence; D019175:DNA Methylation; D005260:Female; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012307:Risk Factors; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D016615:Telomere / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D059506:Telomere Shortening
chemical_list: C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors