Peripheral gene expression profile from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) patients, unaffected siblings and controls: a pilot study

• Grant number: 15/10704-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2016
• End date: August 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Psychiatry
• Principal Investigator: Carolina Cappi
• Grantee: Paula Frudit
• Host Institution: Instituto de Psiquiatria Doutor Antonio Carlos Pacheco e Silva (IPq). Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP (HCFMUSP). Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 11/21357-9 - Research on neural circuits and biological markers involved in obsessive-compulsive disorder using behavioral paradigms of fear and anxiety, AP.TEM

Abstract

Whole transcriptome expression profiling is a helpful method to identify genes and biological pathways associated with the physiopathology of mental disorders and also to identify patterns of treatment response. Through peripheral blood gene expression levels analysis, important biomarkers for biomedically relevant states can be discovered. Furthermore, we can observe whether the global level of gene expression regulation might be important in mediating the risk for disorders or may serve as a clinical symptom independent biomarker, related to the state of the disorder, its symptomatology, and treatment. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a prevalent mental disorder in the population, with unknown causes. There is considerable evidence that genetic factors, environmental influences, and their interaction play a role in the development of OCD. Identifying genes and biological processes associated to the risk for OCD is extremely necessary to understand its physiopathology. To date, no published peripheral blood gene expression profile studies have been reported in OCD. The main objective of this project is to investigate peripheral blood gene expression profiles in OCD patients and compare it to unaffected siblings and controls using an Illumina Hi Seq2000 sequencing machine (Illumina, Inc., San Diego, California).