Gene expression alterations related to mania and psychosis in peripheral blood of patients with a first episode of psychosis

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Gouvea, E. S. ; Ota, V. K. ; Noto, C. ; Santoro, M. L. ; Spindola, L. M. ; Moretti, P. N. ; Carvalho, C. M. ; Xavier, G. ; Rios, A. C. ; Sato, J. R. ; Hayashi, M. A. F. ; Brietzke, E. ; Gadelha, A. ; Bressan, R. A. ; Cordeiro, Q. ; Belangero, S. I.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY; v. 6, OCT 4 2016.
• Web of Science Citations: 9

Abstract

Psychotic disorders affect similar to 3% of the general population and are among the most severe forms of mental diseases. In early stages of psychosis, clinical aspects may be difficult to distinguish from one another. Undifferentiated psychopathology at the first-episode of psychosis (FEP) highlights the need for biomarkers that can improve and refine differential diagnosis. We investigated gene expression differences between patients with FEP-schizophrenia spectrum (SCZ; N = 53) or FEP-Mania (BD; N = 16) and healthy controls (N = 73). We also verified whether gene expression was correlated to severity of psychotic, manic, depressive symptoms and/or functional impairment. All participants were antipsychotic-naive. After the psychiatric interview, blood samples were collected and the expression of 12 psychotic-disorder-related genes was evaluated by quantitative PCR. AKT1 and DICER1 expression levels were higher in BD patients compared with that in SCZ patients and healthy controls, suggesting that expression of these genes is associated more specifically to manic features. Furthermore, MBP and NDEL1 expression levels were higher in SCZ and BD patients than in healthy controls, indicating that these genes are psychosis related (independent of diagnosis). No correlation was found between gene expression and severity of symptoms or functional impairment. Our findings suggest that genes related to neurodevelopment are altered in psychotic disorders, and some might support the differential diagnosis between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, with a potential impact on the treatment of these disorders. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/50740-5 - Prevention in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder from neuroscience to the community: a multiphase, multimodal and translational platform for research and intervention
• Grantee: Rodrigo Affonseca Bressan
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 14/50830-2 - Biomarkers of treatment naive psychosis
• Grantee: Rodrigo Affonseca Bressan
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 12/12686-1 - Potential genetic markers in early phases of schizophrenia
• Grantee: Marcos Leite Santoro
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 13/10498-6 - Machine learning in neuroimaging: development of methods and clinical applications in psychiatric disorders
• Grantee: João Ricardo Sato
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 10/08968-6 - Investigation of genetic and epigenetic markers: a translational approach for schizophrenia treatment
• Grantee: Síntia Iole Nogueira Belangero
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 14/07280-1 - Search for genetic markers of risk, progression and response to treatment
• Grantee: Síntia Iole Nogueira Belangero
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants