TY - JOUR
T1 - Association of brain-derived neurotrophic factor DNA methylation and reduced white matter integrity in the anterior corona radiata in major depression
AU - Choi, Sunyoung
AU - Han, Kyu Man
AU - Won, Eunsoo
AU - Yoon, Bong June
AU - Lee, Min Soo
AU - Ham, Byung Joo
N1 - Funding Information:
Author disclosure: This study was supported by grants from the Korea Health Technology R&D Project, Ministry of Health & Welfare , Republic of Korea ( A120004 ), and Basic Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology ( NRF-2011-0023272 ).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - Considerable evidence suggests a crucial role for the epigenetic regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the relationship between BDNF DNA methylation and white matter (WM) integrity in MDD has not yet been investigated. In the current study, we examined the association between the DNA methylation status of the BDNF promoter region and WM integrity in MDD. Sixty patients with MDD and 53 healthy controls underwent T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), to assess their WM integrity. BDNF DNA methylation at 4 CpG sites of the promoter region was also measured. As compared to healthy controls, the MDD group demonstrated reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) in the bilateral anterior and posterior corona radiata (ACR and PCR), genu of the corpus callosum, and the bilateral posterior thalamic radiations. We observed a significant inverse correlation between the DNA methylation of the BDNF promoter region and the FA of the right ACR in MDD patients. Our findings demonstrate a relationship between methylation of the BDNF promoter region and the integrity of the ACR, a key structural component of the emotional and cognitive control network involved in the pathophysiology of MDD. This correlation suggests that BDNF DNA methylation may contribute to structural WM changes in MDD patients.
AB - Considerable evidence suggests a crucial role for the epigenetic regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the relationship between BDNF DNA methylation and white matter (WM) integrity in MDD has not yet been investigated. In the current study, we examined the association between the DNA methylation status of the BDNF promoter region and WM integrity in MDD. Sixty patients with MDD and 53 healthy controls underwent T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), to assess their WM integrity. BDNF DNA methylation at 4 CpG sites of the promoter region was also measured. As compared to healthy controls, the MDD group demonstrated reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) in the bilateral anterior and posterior corona radiata (ACR and PCR), genu of the corpus callosum, and the bilateral posterior thalamic radiations. We observed a significant inverse correlation between the DNA methylation of the BDNF promoter region and the FA of the right ACR in MDD patients. Our findings demonstrate a relationship between methylation of the BDNF promoter region and the integrity of the ACR, a key structural component of the emotional and cognitive control network involved in the pathophysiology of MDD. This correlation suggests that BDNF DNA methylation may contribute to structural WM changes in MDD patients.
KW - Anterior corona radiata
KW - Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)
KW - DNA methylation
KW - Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)
KW - Major depressive disorder
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84908432764&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jad.2014.09.042
DO - 10.1016/j.jad.2014.09.042
M3 - Article
C2 - 25451398
AN - SCOPUS:84908432764
VL - 172
SP - 74
EP - 80
JO - Journal of Affective Disorders
JF - Journal of Affective Disorders
SN - 0165-0327
ER -