A selective reduction in the relative density of parvalbumin-immunoreactive  neurons in the hippocampus in schizophrenia patients.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the relative densities of the GABAergic subpopulation defined by calcium-binding proteins and to further study the importance of changes in GABAergic interneurons on neuropathology in the hippocampus in schizophrenia cases.


METHODS
The relative densities and neuronal body size of cells immunoreactive for the calcium-binding proteins parvalbumin and calretinin as well as the area size of the hippocampal sub-fields were determined from the hippocampal tissue sections taken from schizophrenic patients and well-matched control subjects (15 per group).


RESULTS
No significant difference in the density of calretinin-immunoreactive neurons and the neuronal body size of calretinin-positive neurons was found between subject groups. Relative to normal controls, schizophrenic patients showed a significant and profound deficit in the relative densities of parvalbumin-immunoreactive neurons in all hippocampal sub-fields. These reductions were more apparent in male schizophrenic patients and were unrelated to antipsychotic drug treatment, age or duration of illness.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings provide further evidence to support a profound and selective abnormality of a sub- population of GABAergic neurons in the hippocampus in schizophrenia cases, and are consistent with the etiological hypothesis of the neurodevelopment of schizophrenia.
Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, China. lbicheng@public1.ptt.js.cn
Zhijun
Z
Zhang
Jing
J
Sun
Gavin P
GP
Reynolds
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D064032:Calbindin 2; D002452:Cell Count; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry*; D010320:Parvalbumins / Q000032:analysis*; D018079:Receptors, GABA / Q000032:analysis*; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G / Q000032:analysis*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
C576764:CALB2 protein, human; D064032:Calbindin 2; D010320:Parvalbumins; D018079:Receptors, GABA; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G