Reverse transcriptase activity in 5-azacytidine-treated lymphocyte cultures of patients with schizophrenia.
We investigated the involvement of human lymphotropic retroviruses in the etiology of schizophrenia. Short-term cultures of peripheral lymphocytes of 11 chronic schizophrenic patients and six controls were established and treated with 2.5 and 5 microM 5-azacytidine. No reverse transcriptase activity could be detected in any of the 5-azacytidine-treated cultures indicating that 5-azacytidine did not activate a putative retrovirus in lymphocytes of patients with schizophrenia. Therefore, our findings do not support a role of lymphotropic retroviruses as an etiology in schizophrenia.
Feenstra
A
A
Neuropsychiatry Branch, Intramural Research Program, NIMH, Washington DC.
Kirch
D G
DG
Coggiano
M A
MA
Wyatt
R J
RJ
D000328:Adult; D001374:Azacitidine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000201:enzymology*
D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D001374:Azacitidine