GENOME-WIDE GENE EXPRESSION SIGNATURE OF DEPRESSION

Abstract

BackgroundMany studies have attempted to identify the molecular signature of depression. The results, however, are inconsistent. The small sample sizes, choice of tissue/cell types and suboptimal statistical methods are the major limitations that might contribute to this inconsistency. In our study, to identify the whole blood transcriptome signature of geriatric depression, we utilized two large population cohorts aged over 65 -The Sydney Memory and Aging Study, MAS (N=521) and The Older Australian Twin Study, OATS (N=324) as discovery and replication cohorts, respectively. Major Depression was assessed according to DSM-IV criteria.MethodsThe genome-wide gene expression data were obtained u..