MicroRNA Correlates of Childhood Maltreatment and Suicidality
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Summary
This is a research study to find out if childhood trauma and stress are associated with depression or suicidal risk. The study will assess the effects of both short-term and long-term stress on biomarker (e.g. miRNA \[MiRNA\]) levels. miRNAs are a type of RNA (genetic material that is translated into protein) that are found in throughout the body and blood. They are called microRNA because their size is much smaller than typical RNA molecules. miRNAs are highly responsive to environment. This responsiveness is reflected in their expression in individuals who are affected by environment such as stress. The investigators are gathering genetic material, including DNA and RNA, from each participant. The RNA will be taken from the small vesicles and cells in the participant's blood and analyzed. The vesicles are small objects that occur normally in the blood and that contain RNA. This information may help us to understand the cause of mental illness and to improve medical and psychiatric care in the future. There will be 450 participants enrolled in this study.
Description
The purpose of the study is to determine if the relationship between a history of childhood maltreatment (CM) and suicide risk is associated with alterations in the expression and epigenetic modification of specific microRNAs (miRNAs), thereby providing a molecular signature of suicide risk in people with CM. miRNAs are short regulatory RNAs that transduce environmental events into changes in protein synthesis in cells. The environment can induce permanent changes in miRNA expression. Aim 1 is to identify a set of neural-derived exosomal miRNAs that are associated with the interaction of suici…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–60 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age 18-60 2. Physically healthy 3. Willing and able to provide informed consent 5\. Diagnosis of MDD or No history of mental illness Exclusion Criteria: 1. Pregnancy or lactation (women of reproductive potential must have a negative urine pregnancy screen) 2. Post-partum state (being within 2 months of delivery or miscarriage) 3. Homicide risk as determined by clinical interview 4. A lifetime history of psychotic disorder 5. Any history of dissociation or dissociative disorder 6. Bipolar disorder 7. Pervasive developmental disorder 8. Cognitive disorder 9. Cluster A…
Interventions
- OtherTrier Social Stress Test
The TSST is a standardized test to induce acute psychological stress in humans. Participants will abstain from caffeine for 12 hours and nicotine for 2 hours prior to the test. An IV butterfly catheter will be placed in an arm vein and flushed with saline. Participants will rest for 15 minutes. A 10ml baseline blood sample will be drawn. They will perform the TSST task and then have 10ml of blood drawn at 0, 15, 30, 60, and 90 minutes post-TSST.
Locations (2)
- University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, Alabama
- UAB Huntsville Regional Medical CampusHuntsville, Alabama