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Gene expression associated with suicide attempts in US veterans
J D Flory1,2, D Donohue3, S Muhie3
1Office of Mental Health, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA.
Translational Psychiatry
|September 6, 2017
Summary
Veterans with suicide attempts show distinct blood gene expression patterns, particularly in mTOR and WNT pathways. These findings may help identify molecular predictors for suicidal behavior in veterans.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Veterans represent a significant portion of suicide deaths in the US.
- Understanding biological markers for suicide attempts in veterans is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare blood gene expression between veterans with and without a history of suicide attempts.
- To identify molecular pathways associated with suicidal behavior in the veteran population.
Main Methods:
- Blood gene expression analysis was performed on 39 psychiatric patients (87% male).
- Participants were veterans with and without a history of suicide attempts, matched for age and race/ethnicity.
- Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) was used to identify relevant biological pathways.
Main Results:
- Specific gene expression pathways, including mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and WNT signaling, were associated with suicide attempts.
- These pathways are implicated in the mechanisms of action for treatments like ketamine and lithium.
- Findings align with civilian studies and may inform post-mortem sample interpretation.
Conclusions:
- Blood gene expression differences may serve as molecular predictors for suicide attempts in veterans.
- Consistency across blood and brain samples suggests potential for identifying biomarkers.
- This research supports the relevance of civilian findings to the veteran population.
