Psychological Mediation of a Type of Oxidative DNA Damage, 8-Hydroxydeoxyguanosine, in Peripheral Blood Leukocytes of Non-Smoking and Non-Drinking Workers

Abstract

Background: The present study investigates whether the formation of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG), a known oxidative DNA damage relevant to carcinogenicity, can be associated with psychological factors, in order to clarify the possible stress-cancer linkage from a genetic viewpoint. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study in which we examined the relationships of the levels of 8-OH-dG in peripheral blood leukocytes to various psychological factors, including the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) in 38 non-smoking and non-drinking workers (19 males and 19 females). Results: The levels of 8-OH-dG in male subjects were negatively correlated with the Tension-Anxiety scores of the POMS. In contrast, the levels of 8-OH-dG in female subjects were positively correlated with the Depression-Rejection scores of the POMS and the CES-D scores, and negatively associated with the Vigor scores of the POMS, respectively. Male subjects who had self-blame coping strategy displayed significantly high levels of 8-OH-dG. Moreover, the worse the subjective closeness to parents in childhood, the higher the levels of 8-OH-dG became in male subjects. The levels of 8-OH-dG increased reliably in subjects who had experienced the loss of a close family member within 3 years, when compared with non-bereaved subjects. Conclusions: Psychological distress may be associated with cancer risk, although sex difference influences them. Inadequate coping styles, possibly resulting from a poor interpersonal relationship with parents since childhood, and experience of a relatively recent loss of a close family member also appear to influence the pathogenesis of cancer.

Vegetarian diets are associated with healthy mood states: a cross-sectional study in Seventh Day Adventist adults

“…Several randomized, placebo-controlled trials have demonstrated beneficial effects of fish or fish oil on mood states as indicated by significant reductions in POMS scores in healthy volunteers [32,33]. In these subject populations, markers of oxidative stress were reduced in the fish-supplemented groups concomitant with improved mood states, findings that support earlier descriptive data directly linking oxidative stress and psychological distress [34]. Vegetarians are generally characterized by high circulating concentrations of antioxidants and reduced oxidative stress [35,36], attributed to high intakes of plant foods in this population.…”

Low plasma vitamin E levels in major depression: diet or disease?

“…A longitudinal study in elderly Japanese also found no relationship between serum a-tocopherol and depression score, but found that in males only, a-tocopherol at baseline was a significant predictor of progression of depressive status at a 4 y follow-up (Shibata et al, 1999). Conversely, levels of oxidative DNA damage were found to be positively associated to depression scores in female, but not male, Japanese workers (Irie et al, 2002). These results indicate that it may be important to consider sex in further examination of the relationship between depression score and oxidative status.…”

DNA Damage in Major Psychiatric Diseases

“…Both acute and chronic stress significantly elevates 8-oxodG levels and DNA strand breaks in the frontal cortex, amygdala and hippocampus (Adachi et al 1993, Liu et al 1996, Consiglio et al 2010). Human studies also showed that even a non-pathological stress like heavy workload and fatigue or psychological stress positively correlated with 8-oxodG levels in the peripheral blood leukocytes among the female workers (Irie et al 2001, Irie et al 2002, Inoue et al 2009). …”