The Multidimensional Nature of Metabolic Syndrome in Schizophrenia: Lessons from Studies of One-Carbon Metabolism and DNA Methylation

Abstract

Large data sets indicate that the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is significantly higher in patients with schizophrenia in comparison with the general population. Given that interactions between genes and the environment may underlie the etiology of MetS in subjects with schizophrenia, it is feasible that epigenetic phenomena can serve as the etiological consensus between genetic and environmental factors. However, there is still a striking scarcity of studies aimed at investigating the role of aberrant DNA methylation in the development of MetS in this group of patients. This article provides an update on the epigenetics of schizophrenia and reviews studies on the role of one-carbon metabolism and aberrant DNA methylation in the development of MetS.

KEYWORDS::

• DNA methylation
• epigenetics
• metabolic syndrome
• one-carbon metabolism
• schizophrenia

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by the research grant ‘The role of genetic variation in one-carbon metabolic cycle in the etiology of the metabolic syndrome in patients with schizophrenia‘ awarded by National Science Centre (decision number DEC-2011/03/N/NZ5/00248). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the research grant ‘The role of genetic variation in one-carbon metabolic cycle in the etiology of the metabolic syndrome in patients with schizophrenia‘ awarded by National Science Centre (decision number DEC-2011/03/N/NZ5/00248). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.