Telomere Length and CCL11 Levels are Associated With Gray Matter Volume and Episodic Memory Performance in Schizophrenia: Evidence of Pathological Accelerated Aging.
Schizophrenia (SZ) is associated with increased somatic morbidity and mortality, in addition to cognitive impairments similar to those seen in normal aging, which may suggest that pathological accelerated aging occurs in SZ. Therefore, we aim to evaluate the relationships of age, telomere length (TL), and CCL11 (aging and inflammatory biomarkers, respectively), gray matter (GM) volume and episodic memory performance in individuals with SZ compared to healthy controls (HC). One hundred twelve participants (48 SZ and 64 HC) underwent clinical and memory assessments, structural MRI, and had their peripheral blood drawn for biomarkers analysis. Comparisons of group means and correlations were performed. Participants with SZ had decreased TL and GM volume, increased CCL11, and worse memory performance compared to HC. In SZ, shorter TL was related to increased CCL11, and both biomarkers were related to reduced GM volume, all of which were related to worse memory performance. Older age was only associated with reduced GM, but longer duration of illness was related with all the aforementioned variables. Younger age of disease onset was associated with increased CCL11 levels and worse memory performance. In HC, there were no significant correlations except between memory and GM. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis of accelerated aging in SZ. These results may indicate that it is not age itself, but the impact of the disease associated with a pathological accelerated aging that leads to impaired outcomes in SZ.
Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Leticia Sanguinetti
LS
Czepielewski
Departamento de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil.
Raffael
R
Massuda
Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Bruna
B
Panizzutti
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Lucas Kich
LK
Grun
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Florencia María
FM
Barbé-Tuana
Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Investigação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Antonio Lucio
AL
Teixeira
Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO.|Department of Psychiatry and Radiology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO.
Deanna M
DM
Barch
Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Clarissa S
CS
Gama
D000328:Adult; D019588:Aging, Premature / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015415:Biomarkers; D054413:Chemokine CCL11 / Q000097:blood*; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D059506:Telomere Shortening / Q000502:physiology*
D015415:Biomarkers; C515456:CCL11 protein, human; D054413:Chemokine CCL11
biomarkers; episodic memory; gray matter volume; pathological accelerated aging; schizophrenia