Project description:Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a psychiatric disorder with an estimated heritability of around 70%. Although the largest genome-wide association study meta-analysis on AN identified independent loci-conferring risk to the disorder, the molecular mechanisms underlying the genetic basis of AN remains to be elucidated. To explore AN, we ran a transcriptome profiling in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 15 AN subjects and 15 healthy controls. We validated our mean results in a mouse model of chronic food restriction mimicking several aspects of AN. Through this exploratory study we identified 673 significantly differentially expressed genes in AN. Among these genes, we identified the Vanin-1 (Vnn1) gene that appears to play a major role in the regulation of multiple metabolic pathways. We confirmed an underexpression of Vnn1, especially in the liver, in a mouse model of chronic food restriction. These results indicate that quantitative food restriction affects Vnn1 expression, suggesting that this gene may contribute to the anorexic phenotype in the chronic food restriction mouse model as well as in patients affected by AN. We believe that this report highlights promising candidate genes and gene pathways for AN and reveals Vnn1 as a biomarker that may be used as molecular targets to predict and/or to understand AN.
Project description:As part of the Genetic Consortium for Anorexia Nervosa (GCAN) and Wellcome Trust Case
Control Consortium 3 (WTCCC3), we have amassed the largest anorexia nervosa (AN)
sample in the world (~4,000). Following the WTCCC3 GWAS, we secured funding from the
Klarman Family Foundation to extend the genetic analyses to variants on the exome chip
(CoreExome array). This pre-lim relates to carrying out genotyping on the CoreExome array
on up to a maximum of 580 new samples.
Project description:IntroductionMulti-family therapy (MFT) is a recommended treatment for adolescent anorexia nervosa internationally. Despite recent significant advances in single-family therapy, the evidence base for MFT remains relatively small. Several individual and family factors have been associated with poorer outcomes in single-family therapy, many of which may be addressed or ameliorated by MFT if delivered early in treatment. This trial aims to determine the feasibility and acceptability of adding a five-day multi-family therapy group to the early stages of family therapy for anorexia nervosa. Secondary objectives are to explore effect size changes in key individual and family factors across treatment.MethodsThis feasibility trial will use a randomised controlled design. Sixty adolescents (age 10-17 inclusive) with anorexia nervosa or atypical anorexia nervosa and their parents will be recruited from a community-based specialist eating disorder service in London, UK. Participants will be randomly allocated to receive six months of eating disorder focussed family therapy with a five-day MFT group (experimental group) or without (control group). Block randomisation will be conducted by the King's Clinical Trials Unit and researchers will be blind to participants' intervention allocation. Feasibility, acceptability and secondary outcomes measures will be collected at baseline, post-MFT, end of treatment, six-month and 12-month follow-up. Feasibility and acceptability will be assessed according to trial sign-up rates, retention, measure completion rates and satisfaction. Secondary outcomes include physical health improvements, changes in psychiatric symptoms, emotion regulation and reflective function capacity, expressed emotion, parental difficulties and therapeutic alliance. Descriptive data and exploration analysis of trends and effect sizes will be reported upon at trial completion.DiscussionThe five-day MFT program developed for this study is novel, brief and more accessible than previous MFT models. The inclusion of a data collection point during treatment and follow-up will allow for an investigation of trends during and after treatment. This will allow exploration and comparison of future potential mediators and moderators of MFT and FT-AN outcomes and how these may differ between treatments.Trial registrationISRCTN registry; ISRCTN93437752 , on 27 January 2021.
Project description:Genetic factors contribute to the etiology of anorexia nervosa (AN). This review synthesizes the current state of knowledge about the genetic etiology of AN, provides directions for future research, and discusses clinical implications for this research.Candidate gene meta-analyses indicate serotonin genes may be involved in the genetic etiology of AN. Three genome-wide association studies have been conducted and one genome-wide significant locus was identified. Cross-disorder analyses suggest shared genetic risk between AN and several psychiatric, educational, and medical phenotypes. Much has been learned about the genetic etiology of AN over the past 3 decades. However, to fully understand the genetic architecture, we must consider all aspects including common variation, cross-disorder analysis, rare variation, copy number variation, and gene-environment interplay. Findings have important implications for the development of treatment and prevention approaches and for how AN, and psychiatric and medical diseases in general, are conceptualized.
Project description:OBJECTIVE:Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) is involved in the response to stress and in depression and anxiety. However, studies on ADH in anorexia nervosa (AN) show conflicting results. A major reason for this may be methodological challenges due to short half-life of ADH in circulation and rapid degradation in vitro. To overcome these obstacles, copeptin, the C-terminal fragment stemming from the ADH precursor, has been increasingly used as a stable clinical measure for ADH. Furthermore, copeptin has been recognized as a biomarker of insulin resistance in obesity. METHODS:We measured fasting copeptin in plasma from 25 normohydrated, stable women with AN (BMI 13.0 ± 2.0) and 25 age-matched women. RESULTS:No difference in copeptin levels was found (6.8 ± 1.8 vs. 5.5 ± 0.5 pmol/L). Confirmatory, copeptin concentrations were correlated to insulin resistance assessed by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance. DISCUSSION:We report for the first time that copeptin level as a marker of ADH activity is not altered in fluid- and electrolyte-stabilized patients with severe AN patients, indicating that ADH may not be crucial in the pathophysiological involvement of psychologic stress in AN.
Project description:Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a complex debilitating disease characterized by intense fear of weight gain and excessive exercise. It is the deadliest of any psychiatric disorder with a high rate of recidivism, yet its pathophysiology is unclear. The Activity-Based Anorexia (ABA) paradigm is a widely accepted mouse model of AN that recapitulates hypophagia and hyperactivity despite reduced body weight, however, not the chronicity. Here, we modified the prototypical ABA paradigm to increase the time to lose 25% of baseline body weight from less than 7 days to more than 2 weeks. We used this paradigm to identify persistently altered genes after weight restoration that represent a metabolic memory of under-nutrition and may contribute to AN relapse. We focused on adipose tissue as it was identified as a major location of metabolic memory of over-nutririon. We identified 300 persistently dysregulated genes, including Calm2 and Vps13d, which could be potential global regulators of metabolic memory in both chronic over- and under-nutrition. However, despite being on the opposite spectrum of weight perturbations, the majority of metabolic memory genes of under- and over-nutrition do not overlap, suggestive of the different mechanisms involved in these extreme nutritional statuses.
Project description:UnlabelledResearch on treatments in anorexia nervosa (AN) is scarce. Although most of the therapeutic programs used in 'real world practice' in AN treatment resort to multidisciplinary approaches, they have rarely been evaluated.ObjectiveTo compare two multidimensional post-hospitalization outpatients treatment programs for adolescents with severe AN: Treatment as Usual (TAU) versus this treatment plus family therapy (TAU+FT).MethodSixty female AN adolescents, aged 13 to 19 years, were included in a randomized parallel controlled trial conducted from 1999 to 2002 for the recruitment, and until 2004 for the 18 months follow-up. Allocation to one of the two treatment groups (30 in each arm) was randomised. The TAU program included sessions for the patient alone as well as sessions with a psychiatrist for the patient and her parents. The TAU+FT program was identical to the usual one but also included family therapy sessions targeting intra-familial dynamics, but not eating disorder symptoms. The main Outcome Measure was the Morgan and Russell outcome category (Good or Intermediate versus Poor outcome). Secondary outcome indicators included AN symptoms or their consequences (eating symptoms, body mass index, amenorrhea, number of hospitalizations in the course of follow-up, social adjustment). The evaluators, but not participants, were blind to randomization.ResultsAt 18 months follow-up, we found a significant group effect for the Morgan and Russell outcome category in favor of the program with family therapy (Intention-to-treat: TAU+FT :12/30 (40%); TAU : 5/29 (17.2%) p?=?0.05; Per Protocol analysis: respectively 12/26 (46.2%); 4/27 (14.8%), p?=?0.01). Similar group effects were observed in terms of achievement of a healthy weight (i.e., BMI?10(th) percentile) and menstrual status.ConclusionsAdding family therapy sessions, focusing on intra-familial dynamics rather than eating symptomatology, to a multidimensional program improves treatment effectiveness in girls with severe AN.Trial registrationControlled-trials.com ISRCTN71142875.
Project description:BACKGROUND:Little is known about the long-term outcome of anorexia nervosa. AIMS:To study the 30-year outcome of adolescent-onset anorexia nervosa. METHOD:All 4291 individuals born in 1970 and attending eighth grade in 1985 in Gothenburg, Sweden were screened for anorexia nervosa. A total of 24 individuals (age cohort for anorexia nervosa) were pooled with 27 individuals with anorexia nervosa (identified through community screening) who were born in 1969 and 1971-1974. The 51 individuals with anorexia nervosa and 51 school- and gender-matched controls were followed prospectively and examined at mean ages of 16, 21, 24, 32 and 44. Psychiatric disorders, health-related quality of life and general outcome were assessed. RESULTS:At the 30-year follow-up 96% of participants agreed to participate. There was no mortality. Of the participants, 19% had an eating disorder diagnosis (6% anorexia nervosa, 2% binge-eating disorder, 11% other specified feeding or eating disorder); 38% had other psychiatric diagnoses; and 64% had full eating disorder symptom recovery, i.e. free of all eating disorder criteria for 6 consecutive months. During the elapsed 30 years, participants had an eating disorder for 10 years, on average, and 23% did not receive psychiatric treatment. Good outcome was predicted by later age at onset among individuals with adolescent-onset anorexia nervosa and premorbid perfectionism. CONCLUSIONS:This long-term follow-up study reflects the course of adolescent-onset anorexia nervosa and has shown a favourable outcome regarding mortality and full symptom recovery. However, one in five had a chronic eating disorder.