title: Expression of neuronal calcium sensor-1 (NCS-1) is decreased in leukocytes of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients.
abstract: Schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BPD) are severe illnesses representing an enormous social, familiar and individual burden that affect 1% of the population world-wide. Several evidences indicate abnormalities of the dopamine system in both SCZ and BPD. Neuronal calcium sensor-1 (NCS-1) is a protein that has many functions in neurotransmission such as inhibition of dopamine D(2) receptor desensitization, regulation of ionic channels and enhancement of exocytosis of neurotransmitters. In addition, NCS-1 protein expression and mRNA levels were found increased in pre-frontal cortex (PFC) of SCZ and BPD patients. NCS-1 expression in neural and neuroendocrine cells is well documented and, recently, it was shown that NCS-1 is also expressed in mast cells and neutrophils. NCS-1 has important functions in mast cells since it stimulates Fc epsilon RI-triggered exocytosis and the release of arachidonic acid metabolites. Then, due to the known close relation between the nervous and immune systems, we sought to investigate the NCS-1 expression in lymphocytes and monocytes (CD4+ T lymphocytes, CD56+ NK cells, CD19+ B lymphocytes and CD14+ monocytes) of SCZ and BPD patients. Using flow cytometry, our results have shown that NCS-1 expression was diminished in CD4+T lymphocytes, CD19+ B lymphocytes and CD14+ monocytes of BPD patients and also decreased in CD4+ T lymphocytes and CD56+ NK cells of SCZ patients. Results suggest that immune cells might be a cellular model for studies with SCZ and BPD patients considering NCS-1 functions. Efforts need to be done to investigate the motive of the decreased percentage of immune cells expressing NCS-1 in patients with SCZ and BPD.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neurociência, Departamento de Farmacologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av Antonio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte-MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: K C L
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sampaio
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nicolato
authors.forename: F S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.forename: A G A
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.forename: W O
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Dutra
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Gollob
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Correa
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Romano-Silva
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018941:Antigens, CD19 / Q000378:metabolism; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000378:metabolism*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000378:metabolism; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D051580:Neuronal Calcium-Sensor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018941:Antigens, CD19; D015415:Biomarkers; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D051580:Neuronal Calcium-Sensor Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; C101464:frequenin calcium sensor proteins