Citation

Mirza S, Docherty AR, Bakian A, Coon H, Soares JC, Walss-Bass C, Fries GR. Am. J. Med. Genet. B Neuropsychiatr. Genet. 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/ajmg.b.32917

PMID

35975759

Abstract

Suicide is a multifaceted and poorly understood clinical outcome, and there is an urgent need to advance research on its phenomenology and etiology. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that suicidal behavior is heritable, suggesting that genetic and epigenetic information may serve as biomarkers for suicide risk. Here we systematically review the literature on genetic and epigenetic alterations observed in phenotypes across the full range of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITB). We included 577 studies focused on genome-wide and epigenome-wide associations, candidate genes (SNP and methylation), noncoding RNAs, and histones. Convergence of specific genes is limited across units of analysis, although pathway-based analyses do indicate nervous system development and function and immunity/inflammation as potential underlying mechanisms of SITB. We provide suggestions for future work on the genetic and epigenetic correlates of SITB with a specific focus on measurement issues.

Language: en

Keywords

suicide; biomarker; DNA methylation; epigenetics; genetics; single nucleotide polymorphism