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Faraz Ahmad

Publications and source records attributed to Faraz Ahmad.

2 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2026

Unravelling the biological nexus of smoking and postpartum depression: a meta-analysis and functional genomics approach.

PURPOSE: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a prevalent psychological condition among birthing women. While several psycho-socio-economic and neurobiological factors influence its development, its relationship with smoking behavior and nicotine addiction remains largely inconclusive. METHODS: In this combinatorial study, we first evaluate the relationship between smoking and depressive behaviors in postpartum women using data extracted from pertinent primary epidemiological studies. Additionally, to discern the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying this association, we identified common genetic elements and evaluated their functional attributes using in silico analyses. RESULTS: Meta-analytical assessment of systematically collected data from 38 studies indicated that smoking women are twice as likely to develop PPD, compared to their non-smoking counterparts. While geocultural attributes did not affect this relationship, timing of smoking was a significant moderator, with current and gestational smoking statuses being more strongly linked with PPD outcome, compared to the past smoking habit. Further, depression scores in smoking postpartum women were higher than those in non-smoking controls. Analysis of the common protein-encoding genes underlying the pathophysiology of nicotine addiction and PPD revealed several critical hub proteins (viz., AKT1, JUN, CTNNB1, PTEN, EGFR, ESR1, SRC, STAT3, FN1, IL1B, IL6, TNF, TP53, GAPDH, INS, MYC, and ALB) which were predicted to alter multiple pathophysiological pathways associated with transcriptional expression, intra- and intercellular signaling transduction, metabolism, and immune functions. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that smoking is strongly associated with depressive behavior in postpartum women, although this association involve mediation of additional environmental and psychosocial elements. Moreover, network analysis of common genetic elements identified several potentially disrupted neurophysiological pathways in postpartum women with smoking and depressive behaviors which may aid in characterizing the underlying relationship between the two conditions.

Humans↗
PubMed2024

Elucidating the clinical and genetic spectrum of inositol polyphosphate phosphatase INPP4A-related neurodevelopmental disorder.

PURPOSE: Biallelic INPP4A variants have recently been associated with severe neurodevelopmental disease in single-case reports. Here, we expand and elucidate the clinical-genetic spectrum and provide a pathomechanistic explanation for genotype-phenotype correlations. METHODS: Clinical and genomic investigations of 30 individuals were undertaken alongside molecular and in silico modelling and translation reinitiation studies. RESULTS: We characterize a clinically variable disorder with cardinal features, including global developmental delay, severe-profound intellectual disability, microcephaly, limb weakness, cerebellar signs, and short stature. A more severe presentation associated with biallelic INPP4A variants downstream of exon 4 has additional features of (ponto)cerebellar hypoplasia, reduced cerebral volume, peripheral spasticity, contractures, intractable seizures, and cortical visual impairment. Our studies identify the likely pathomechanism of this genotype-phenotype correlation entailing translational reinitiation in exon 4 resulting in an N-terminal truncated INPP4A protein retaining partial functionality, associated with less severe disease. We also identified identical reinitiation site conservation in Inpp4a-/- mouse models displaying similar genotype-phenotype correlation. Additionally, we show fibroblasts from a single affected individual exhibit disrupted endocytic trafficking pathways, indicating the potential biological basis of the condition. CONCLUSION: Our studies comprehensively characterize INPP4A-related neurodevelopmental disorder and suggest genotype-specific clinical assessment guidelines. We propose that the potential mechanistic basis of observed genotype-phenotype correlations entails exon 4 translation reinitiation.

Humans↗