A study of the relationship between the DBH activity in serum and a MspI polymorphic site in intron 9 of the human DBH gene in schizophrenia.
Intron 9 of the human dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) gene was amplified using a long PCR procedure in unrelated patients with schizophrenia and unrelated control subjects. MspI digestion of the PCR fragments showed a two allele polymorphism. A1 and A2 Kruskal-Wallis analysis revealed a significant difference in serum DBH activity among the three groups carrying the A1/A2 genotype, the drug-free and drug treated patients, and the control subjects (H = 12.2, df = 2, p < 0.005), and also a significant difference among the three subgroups of drug-treated patients carrying the genotype of A1/A1, A2/A2 or A1/A2 (H = 10.4, df = 2, p < 0.01). The present results suggest that the MspI polymorphic site in intron 9 of the human DBH gene may be associated with alterations of DBH activity in schizophrenia and with the influence of neuroleptic drugs on the DBH activity as well.
Wei
J
J
Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Schizophrenia Association of Great Britain, Bangor, UK. jwei@hgmp.mrc.ac.uk
Ramchand
C N
CN
Hemmings
G P
GP
D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001483:Base Sequence; D019003:Deoxyribonuclease HpaII / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase; D019003:Deoxyribonuclease HpaII