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.
Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Schizophrenia Association of Great Britain, Bangor, UK. jwei@hgmp.mrc.ac.uk
J
J
Wei
C N
CN
Ramchand
G P
GP
Hemmings
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