Association between epigenetic age acceleration and depressive symptoms in a prospective cohort study of urban-dwelling adults

Abstract

Objective: This study tests associations of DNA methylation-based (DNAm) measures of epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) with cross-sectional and longitudinal depressive symptoms in an urban sample of middle-aged adults.

Methods: White and African-American adult participants in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study for whom DNA samples were analyzed (baseline age: 30-65 years) we included. We estimated three DNAm based EAA measures: (1) universal epigenetic age acceleration (AgeAccel); (2) intrinsic epigenetic age acceleration (IEAA); and (3) extrinsic epigenetic age acceleration (EEAA). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 20-item Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale total and sub-domain scores at baseline (2004-2009) and follow-up visits (2009-2013). Linear mixed-effects regression models were conducted, adjusting potentially confounding covariates, selection bias and multiple testing (N = 329 participants, ∼52% men, k = 1.9 observations/participant, mean follow-up time∼4.7 years).

Results: None of the epigenetic age acceleration measures were associated with total depressive symptom scores at baseline or over time. IEAA - a measure of cellular epigenetic age acceleration irrespective of white blood cell composition - was cross-sectionally associated with decrement in "positive affect" in the total population (γ₀₁₁± SE = -0.090 ± 0.030, P = 0.003, Cohen's D: -0.16) and among Whites (γ₀₁₁ ± SE = -0.135 ± 0.048, P = 0.005, Cohen's D: -0.23), after correction for multiple testing. Baseline "positive affect" was similarly associated with AgeAccel.

Limitations: Limitations included small sample size, weak-moderate effects and measurement error.

Conclusions: IEAA and AgeAccel, two measures of EAA using Horvath algorithm, were linked to a reduced "positive affect", overall and among Whites. Future studies are needed to replicate our findings and test bi-directional relationships.

Keywords: Adults; Depressive symptoms; Epigenetic Age acceleration; Health disparities.