Major depression and heat shock protein 70-1 gene.
BACKGROUND
Heat shock protein (HSP) expression can be induced by any stress such as with adrenocorticotropic hormones and catecholamines. It has been reported that patients with major depression have a 162-base deletion in the 5'-flanking region of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70)-1 gene mRNA.


METHODS
To detect the HSP70-1 gene mRNA, total RNA was isolated and amplified by RT-PCR, and the sequence was confirmed in all five patients by DNA direct sequencing analysis.


RESULTS
RT-PCR produced was no deletions of 162 bp in the human heat shock protein 70-1 gene in any of the patients with major depression or the nine controls.


CONCLUSIONS
This finding is inconsistent with previous reports. We suggest that the 162-base deletion in the 5'-flanking region of the HSP70-1 gene mRNA is not associated with major depression. Further studies are required to determine the amounts of HSP70 and its mRNA in stress disorders such as major depression.
Takimoto
Takahiro
T
Division of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Environmental Health, Azabu University, 1-17-71 Fuchinobe, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8501, Japan.
Nakamura
Kazuhiko
K
Ueno
Hitomi
H
Matsuda
Motoo
M
Fukunishi
Isao
I
Ameno
Kiyoshi
K
Iwahashi
Kazuhiko
K
D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D003863:Depression / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017353:Gene Deletion; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D017931:DNA Primers; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C081884:heat-shock protein 70.1