Altered immune phenotype and DNA methylation in panic disorder

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Psychiatry
• Epigenetics

Background:

• Psychiatric disorders, including panic disorder (PD), are increasingly linked to immune system alterations.
• Previous small studies suggest changes in leukocyte distribution in PD patients.
• Alterations in DNA methylation of repetitive elements, like LINE-1, are associated with mental health conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between leukocyte proportions and repetitive DNA element methylation in panic disorder.
• To compare immune cell profiles and DNA methylation patterns in PD patients versus healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Utilized DNA methylation data from 133 PD patients and 118 controls.
• Employed DNA methylation deconvolution to estimate leukocyte cell-type proportions.
• Performed epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) to identify differentially methylated CpGs.

Main Results:

• Individuals with PD showed a significantly lower proportion of CD8T cells (OR: 0.86, P-adj=0.030).
• PD cases exhibited significantly lower LINE-1 repetitive element methylation compared to controls (P < 0.001).
• EWAS identified 61 differentially methylated CpGs associated with PD.

Conclusions:

• Panic disorder is associated with alterations in immune cell composition, specifically reduced CD8T cells.
• Dysregulation of repetitive DNA element methylation is observed in individuals with panic disorder.
• These findings highlight a potential link between immune system changes, epigenetic modifications, and panic disorder.