[The mRNA expression levels of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha and tyrosine hydroxylase in peripheral blood of paranoid schizophrenic patients].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the gene expression levels of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in peripheral blood of paranoid schizophrenic patients, and explore the neuroimmunological mechanism of paranoid schizophrenia.


METHODS
The mRNA expression levels of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha and TH in the peripheral blood of 39 paranoid schizophrenic patients and 30 normal controls were measured with RT-PCR and semi-quantitative technique.


RESULTS
The mRNA expression levels of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha and TH was higher in paranoid schizophrenic patients than those in normal controls (P<0.01). The correlation between the gene expression levels of IL-1beta and TH was found in normal controls (r=0.666, P<0.01), not in paranoid schizophrenic patients (P>0.05); and the correlation between the gene expression levels of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha was significant in all groups (r=0.847 for normal controls and 0.942 for patients, P<0.01, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Pro-inflammation cytokines and catecholamines have been demonstrated to be overexpressed in the peripheral blood of paranoid schizophrenic patients. And the correlation between catecholamines and pro-inflammation cytokines, which exists in the controls, is broken in paranoid schizophrenic patients.
Liu
Liang
L
Wuxi Mental Health Center of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi 214151, China.
Jia
Fu-Jun
FJ
Li
Heng-Fen
HF
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D012563:Schizophrenia, Paranoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*
D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase