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Psychiatric disorders and leukocyte telomere length: Underlying mechanisms linking mental illness with cellular aging.

Lindqvist, Daniel LU ; Epel, Elissa S ; Mellon, Synthia H ; Penninx, Brenda W ; Révész, Dóra ; Verhoeven, Josine E ; Reus, Victor I ; Lin, Jue ; Mahan, Laura and Hough, Christina M , et al. (2015) In Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 55(May 18). p.333-364
Abstract
Many psychiatric illnesses are associated with early mortality and with an increased risk of developing physical diseases that are more typically seen in the elderly. Moreover, certain psychiatric illnesses may be associated with accelerated cellular aging, evidenced by shortened leukocyte telomere length (LTL), which could underlie this association. Shortened LTL reflects a cell's mitotic history and cumulative exposure to inflammation and oxidation as well as the availability of telomerase, a telomere-lengthening enzyme. Critically short telomeres can cause cells to undergo senescence, apoptosis or genomic instability, and shorter LTL correlates with poorer health and predicts mortality. Emerging data suggest that LTL may be reduced in... (More)
Many psychiatric illnesses are associated with early mortality and with an increased risk of developing physical diseases that are more typically seen in the elderly. Moreover, certain psychiatric illnesses may be associated with accelerated cellular aging, evidenced by shortened leukocyte telomere length (LTL), which could underlie this association. Shortened LTL reflects a cell's mitotic history and cumulative exposure to inflammation and oxidation as well as the availability of telomerase, a telomere-lengthening enzyme. Critically short telomeres can cause cells to undergo senescence, apoptosis or genomic instability, and shorter LTL correlates with poorer health and predicts mortality. Emerging data suggest that LTL may be reduced in certain psychiatric illnesses, perhaps in proportion to exposure to the psychiatric illnesses, although conflicting data exist. Telomerase has been less well characterized in psychiatric illnesses, but a role in depression and in antidepressant and neurotrophic effects has been suggested by preclinical and clinical studies. In this article, studies on LTL and telomerase activity in psychiatric illnesses are critically reviewed, potential mediators are discussed, and future directions are suggested. A deeper understanding of cellular aging in psychiatric illnesses could lead to re-conceptualizing them as systemic illnesses with manifestations inside and outside the brain and could identify new treatment targets. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
volume
55
issue
May 18
pages
333 - 364
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:25999120
  • wos:000358271000024
  • scopus:84930204022
  • pmid:25999120
ISSN
0149-7634
DOI
10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.05.007
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
23d80dde-2f69-4f4d-bc12-216f45f1e4c1 (old id 5442666)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25999120?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:16:03
date last changed
2022-04-28 08:29:01
@article{23d80dde-2f69-4f4d-bc12-216f45f1e4c1,
  abstract     = {{Many psychiatric illnesses are associated with early mortality and with an increased risk of developing physical diseases that are more typically seen in the elderly. Moreover, certain psychiatric illnesses may be associated with accelerated cellular aging, evidenced by shortened leukocyte telomere length (LTL), which could underlie this association. Shortened LTL reflects a cell's mitotic history and cumulative exposure to inflammation and oxidation as well as the availability of telomerase, a telomere-lengthening enzyme. Critically short telomeres can cause cells to undergo senescence, apoptosis or genomic instability, and shorter LTL correlates with poorer health and predicts mortality. Emerging data suggest that LTL may be reduced in certain psychiatric illnesses, perhaps in proportion to exposure to the psychiatric illnesses, although conflicting data exist. Telomerase has been less well characterized in psychiatric illnesses, but a role in depression and in antidepressant and neurotrophic effects has been suggested by preclinical and clinical studies. In this article, studies on LTL and telomerase activity in psychiatric illnesses are critically reviewed, potential mediators are discussed, and future directions are suggested. A deeper understanding of cellular aging in psychiatric illnesses could lead to re-conceptualizing them as systemic illnesses with manifestations inside and outside the brain and could identify new treatment targets.}},
  author       = {{Lindqvist, Daniel and Epel, Elissa S and Mellon, Synthia H and Penninx, Brenda W and Révész, Dóra and Verhoeven, Josine E and Reus, Victor I and Lin, Jue and Mahan, Laura and Hough, Christina M and Rosser, Rebecca and Saverio Bersani, F and Blackburn, Elizabeth H and Wolkowitz, Owen M}},
  issn         = {{0149-7634}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{May 18}},
  pages        = {{333--364}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews}},
  title        = {{Psychiatric disorders and leukocyte telomere length: Underlying mechanisms linking mental illness with cellular aging.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.05.007}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.05.007}},
  volume       = {{55}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}