Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T20:43:36.811Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

D3 dopamine receptor mRNA expression in lymphocytes: a peripheral marker for schizophrenia?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 June 2014

J. van der Weide*
Affiliation:
St Jansdal Hospital, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Harderwijk, the Netherlands
L. S. W. Steijns
Affiliation:
St Jansdal Hospital, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Harderwijk, the Netherlands
M. A. M. van der Geld
Affiliation:
GGZ Meerkanten, Ermelo, the Netherlands
P. A. de Groot
Affiliation:
GGZ Meerkanten, Ermelo, the Netherlands
*
St Jansdal Hospital, Department of Clinical Chemistry, PO Box 138, 3840 AC Harderwijk, the Netherlands. Tel.: +31 341463807; Fax: +31 341435533; E-mail: j.vander.weide@stjansdal.nl

Abstract

Background:

Identification of schizophrenia, a common neuropsychiatric disorder, is based on clinical examination. An easily measurable peripheral marker, which may enable a more rapid and more accurate diagnosis, is not available. A possible candidate is the D3 dopamine receptor on lymphocytes.

Objective:

The D3 receptor is investigated for its clinical significance as a marker for diagnosing schizophrenia.

Methods:

From eight schizophrenic patients and eight controls lymphocyte RNA was isolated. A semiquantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was carried out and the intensities of the specific D3 dopamine receptor bands of patients and controls were compared.

Results:

No difference could be seen between the intensities of the bands from patients and controls.

Conclusion:

An aberrant D3 dopamine receptor mRNA expression in lymphocytes of schizophrenics could not be demonstrated. This might be caused by down-regulation of D3 receptor production by antipsychotic drug treatment. At present, the D3 receptor seems to have no diagnostic value in schizophrenia.

Type
Brief Report
Copyright
Copyright © 2003 Blackwell Munksgaard

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Lieberman, JA, Perkins, D, Belger, Aet al. The early stages of schizophrenia: speculations on pathogenesis, pathophysiology, and therapeutic approaches. Biol Psychiatry 2001;50: 884897.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edn (DSM-N). American Psychiatric Association 1994, Washington DC, USA. Google Scholar
Gurevich, EV, Bordelon, Y, Shapiro, RM, Arnold, SE, Gur, RE, Joyce, JN. Mesolimbic dopamine D3 receptors and use of antipsychotics in patients with schizophrenia. A postmortem study. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1997;54: 225232.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ilani, T, Ben-Shachar, D, Strous, RDet al. A peripheral marker for schizophrenia: increased levels of D3 dopamine receptor mRNA in blood lymphocytes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2001;98: 625628.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kwak, YT, Koo, M-S, Choi, C-H, Sunwoo, IN. Change of dopamine receptor mRNA expression in lymphocyte of schizophrenic patients. BMC Med Genet 2001;2: 3.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Joyce, JN, Gurevich, EV. D3 receptors and the actions of neuroleptics in the ventral striatopallidal system of schizophrenics. Ann NY Acad Sci 1999;877: 595613.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed