Mental health and the effects on methylation of stress-related genes in front-line versus other health care professionals during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic: an Italian pilot study |
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Authors: | Tabano Silvia Tassi Lorenzo Cannone Marta Giulia Brescia Gloria Gaudioso Gabriella Ferrara Mariarosa Colapietro Patrizia Fontana Laura Miozzo Monica Rosa Croci Giorgio Alberto Seia Manuela Piuma Cristina Solbiati Monica Tobaldini Eleonora Ferrero Stefano Montano Nicola Costantino Giorgio Buoli Massimiliano |
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Institution: | 1.Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy ;2.Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy ;3.University of Milan, Milan, Italy ;4.Department of Health Sciences, Milan, Italy ;5.Unit of Medical Genetics, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, Milan, Italy ;6.Division of Pathology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy ;7.Department of Anesthesia and Emergency-Urgency, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy ;8.Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy ;9.Department of Internal Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy ;10.Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Milan, Italy ;11.Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via F. Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy ; |
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Abstract: | Healthcare workers experienced high degree of stress during COVID-19. Purpose of the present article is to compare mental health (depressive and Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorders—PTSD—symptoms) and epigenetics aspects (degree of methylation of stress-related genes) in front-line healthcare professionals versus healthcare working in non-COVID-19 wards. Sixty-eight healthcare workers were included in the study: 39 were working in COVID-19 wards (cases) and 29 in non-COVID wards (controls). From all participants, demographic and clinical information were collected by an ad-hoc questionnaire. Depressive and PTSD symptoms were evaluated by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Impact of Event Scale—Revised (IES-R), respectively. Methylation analyses of 9 promoter/regulatory regions of genes known to be implicated in depression/PTSD (ADCYAP1, BDNF, CRHR1, DRD2, IGF2, LSD1/KDM1A, NR3C1, OXTR, SLC6A4) were performed on DNA from blood samples by the MassARRAY EpiTYPER platform, with MassCleave settings. Controls showed more frequent lifetime history of anxiety/depression with respect to cases (χ2?=?5.72, p?=?0.03). On the contrary, cases versus controls presented higher PHQ-9 (t?=?2.13, p?=?0.04), PHQ-9 sleep item (t?=?2.26, p?=?0.03), IES-R total (t?=?2.17, p?=?0.03), IES-R intrusion (t?=?2.46, p?=?0.02), IES-R avoidance (t?=?1.99, p?=?0.05) mean total scores. Methylation levels at CRHR1, DRD2 and LSD1 genes was significantly higher in cases with respect to controls (p?<?0.01, p?=?0.03 and p?=?0.03, respectively). Frontline health professionals experienced more negative effects on mental health during COVID-19 pandemic than non-frontline healthcare workers. Methylation levels were increased in genes regulating HPA axis (CRHR1) and dopamine neurotransmission (DRD2 and LSD1), thus supporting the involvement of these biological processes in depression/PTSD and indicating that methylation of these genes can be modulated by stress conditions, such as working as healthcare front-line during COVID-19 pandemic. |
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