Correlation of glutathione strasferase gene polymorphisms and exposure to prenatal environmental factors in persons with autism spectrum disorders

Uvod: poremećaji spektra autizma (PSA) su grupa kompleksnih psihijatrijskih poremećaja, za koje je pretpostavljeno da nastaju kao posledica interakcije gena i okoline. Jedan od mehanizama koji bi mogao da objasni i genetsku i komponentu okoline u okviru ove grupe poremećaja je oksidativni stres. Cilj ovog istraživanja je da se ispita potencijalna uloga čestih polimorfizama gena za glutation transferaze A1, M1, T1 i P1 u razvoju poremećaja spektra autizma. Pored toga, ispitivana je interakcija gena i okoline specifična za oksidativni stres u povećanju rizika za razvoj PSA, i to u odnosu na česte pre- i perinatalne faktore rizika i GST polimorfizme. Metodologija: ova studija slučajeva i kontrola uključivala je 113 pacijenata sa poremećajem spektra autizma koji su lečeni hospitalno ili ambulantno u okviru Klinike za decu i omladinu Instituta za mentalno zdravlje, u periodu od oktobra 2009. do decembra 2011., i 114 kontrola koje su uparene po polu i uzrastu. Kontrolnu grupu činili su deca, adolescenti i mlađi odrasli koji se leče na Odeljenju za urologiju, kao i Odeljenju za ortopediju Univerzitetske dečije klinike u Beogradu, u periodu od oktobra 2011. do juna 2012. godine. Dijagnoza PSA je postavljena na osnovu ICD-10 kriterijuma, i potvrđena na osnovu Revidiranog dijagnostičkog intervjua za autizam (Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised (ADI-R)). Vekslerova skraćena skala inteligencije (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence - WASI) korišćena je za određivanje intelektualnog funkcionisanja kod verbalnih pacijenata, dok je Vineland skala adaptivnog ponašanja (Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition - Vineland-II) korišćena kod neverbalnih pacijenata. U grupi pacijenata i kontrola primenjen je upitnik izloženosti faktorima rizika tokom trudnoće. Takođe, u obe grupe utvrđeni su genotipovi GSTA1, GSTM1, GSTP1 i GSTT1, i ispitan je njihov individualni i zajednički efekat...Background: autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of complex psychiatric disorders, with supposed gene environment interaction in their etiology. One of the mechanisms that could explain both the genetic and environmental component is oxidative stress. The aim of this research was to explore the potential role of common GSTA1, M1, T1 and P1 gene polymorphisms in ASD. In addition to that, we have explored the oxidative stress specific gene environment interaction, regarding common pre- and perinatal risk factors and GST polymorphisms. Methods: this case control study included 113 cases diagnosed with ASD, treated at the Clinic for children and adolescents at the Institute of Mental health, during the period from October 2009 to December 2011, and 114 age and sex matched controls. The control group consisted of children, adolescents and young adults treated at the Department of urology and Orthopedics at the University Childrens Clinic in Belgrade, during the period from October 2011 to June 2012. The diagnosis of ASD was made based on ICD-10 Criteria, and confirmed based on Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised (ADI-R). The Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence - (WASI) was used to assess the intellectual functioning in verbal cases, while the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition (Vineland-II) was used in nonverbal cases. The questionnaire regarding exposure to risk factors during pregnancy was administered in both groups. Also, we explored the GSTA1, GSTM1, GSTP1 i GSTT1 genotypes, as well as their individual and combined effect. Results: exploring the sex-specific characteristics of the case group showed that boys were significantly more often diagnosed with typical autism (F84.0). There were no sex differences in the severity of symptoms (ADI-R), neither in adaptive functioning (Vineland II). A sex-specific development of symptoms with age was confirmed. Also, the results showed that there are sexspecific profiles of prediction of adaptive functioning by clinical symptoms..

Nonsuicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) in Serbia: Nationally representative sample study

Although NSSI has been drawing the attention of researchers intensely for the last 30 years, to date there is no published study about rates of NSSI behaviors in countries of south-eastern Europe. The study aimed to explore NSSI in the Republic of Serbia. Data were collected using multistage random sampling. The final sample consisted of 2792 participants (57.4% female) while the NSSI subsample consisted of 405 participants (54.3% males). Results showed the NSSI rate in Serbia is 4.3% based on a percentage of people who answered affirmatively to lifetime NSSI engagement. However, when the percentage of people who reported at least one positive answer through the NSSI behaviors checklist, the rate rises to 14.5%. The most frequent NSSI behavior is wound picking. NSSI rate drops to 8.8% when wound picking is excluded. Those engaged in NSSI were more likely to report suicide attempts and seek professional help than those who did not report NSSI. Gender differences in NSSI frequency are found only in cases of headbanging and burning oneself. This study showed the scope of NSSI-related problems is similar in Serbia compared to other countries. It also raised questions about the lack of preventive programs and treatment strategies for dealing with NSSI in Serbia.[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772598722000320]Corresponding author. Institute for Educational Research, Dobrinjska 11/3, 11 000, Belgrade, Serbia. E-mail addresses: [email protected], [email protected] (A. Radanović)

Depressive, anxious and somatization symptoms and quality of life in stress-related disorders

Uvod/Cilj. Skorašnje studije pokazale su značajnu povezanost posttraumatskog stresnog poremećaja i smanjenja kvaliteta života. Istraživanja o korelaciji drugih poremećaja povezanih sa stresom i kvaliteta života izuzetno su retka. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je da se utvrdi koji simptomi u okviru poremećaja povezanih sa stresom (depresivni, anksiozni i somatizacioni) najviše utiču na smanjenje kvaliteta života. Metode. Studijska grupa sastojala se od 80 ispitanika koji su razvili neki od poremećaja povezanih sa stresom. Dijagnoza je postavljena na osnovu kriterijuma Međunarodne klasifikacije bolesti (MKB-10). Primenjeni su sledeći instrumenti: Mančesterska kratka skala za procenu kvaliteta života (Manchester Short Assessment Quality of Life Scale - MANSA) i revidirana lista simptoma (Symptom Check List-90 Revised - SCL-90-R) Rezultati. Prisustvo sve tri grupe simptoma (depresivni, anksiozni i somatizacioni) bilo je u negativnoj korelaciji sa kvalitetom života, doprinoseći varijaciji kvaliteta života sa 40%. Depresivni simptomi imali su najveći uticaj na smanjenje kvaliteta života. Zaključak. Depresivni simptomi kao deo poremećaja povezanih sa stresom najviše utiču na smanjenje kvaliteta života. Ciljane terapijske intervencije usmerene na depresivne simptome mogle bi imati značajan uticaj na poboljšanje kvaliteta života kod osoba koje su razvile neki od poremećaja povezanih sa stresom.Background/Aim. Recent studies have shown a significant relation of the post-traumatic stress disorder and impairment of quality of life. The research on the relations of other stressrelated disorders and quality of life is scarce. The aim of this research was to determine which symptoms within the stressrelated disorders (depressive, anxious and somatization) have the strongest effect on the quality of life decrease. Methods. The study group comprised 80 subjects who have developed a certain stress-related disorder. The diagnosis was made based on the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) criteria. Manchester Short Assessment Quality of Life Scale (MANSA) and Symptom Check List-90 Revised (SCL-90-R) were administered. Results. The presence of all three types of symptoms (depressive, anxious or somatization) was in negative correlation with the quality of life, contributing to the variation of quality of life with 40%. Depressive symptoms had the greatest impact on the quality of life impairment. Conclusion. When it comes to stress-related disorders, the quality of life is mostly impaired by depressive symptoms. Target therapeutic interventions aimed at depressive symptoms might have a significant effect on the quality of life improvement in the person who developed stress-related disorders

Determinants of quality of life among individuals seeking mental health care after termination of state of emergency due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

Prompted by the need to measure the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 on main areas of quality of life related to mental health (MH), the COV-19-impact on quality of life (COV19-QoL) scale has been developed recently. We measured how patients seeking face-to-face MH care perceived the coronavirus disease 2019 impact on QoL and how socio-demographic factors, stress, and personality contributed to QoL in this diagnostically diverse population. Patients aged 18 to 65 years (n = 251) who came for the first time to the outpatient units during the 6-week index-period (May 21-July 1, 2020) were included. The cross-sectional assessment involved sociodemographic variables, working diagnosis, personality traits (7-dimension model, including HEXACO and DELTA), stress (list of threatening experiences and proximity to virus), and COV19-QoL. The perceived impact of the pandemic on QoL was above the theoretical mean of a 5-point scale (COV19-Qol = 3.1 +/- 1.2). No association between total COV19-QoL score, sociodemographic parameters, and working diagnoses was found in the present sample. After testing whether positional (threatening experiences), or dispositional (personality) factors were predominant in the perceived impact of COV-19 on QoL, significant predictors of the outcome were personality traits Disintegration (B = 0.52; P lt .01) and Emotionality (B = 0.18; P lt .05). It seems that pervasiveness and uncertainty of the pandemic threat triggers-especially in those high on Disintegration trait-a chain of mental events with the decrease of QoL as a final result. Present findings could be used to establish a profile of MH help seeking population in relation to this biological disaster, and to further explore QoL and personality in different contexts