title: Association between myelin basic protein expression and left entorhinal cortex pre-alpha cell layer disorganization in schizophrenia.
abstract: There is evidence for migrational disturbances in the entorhinal cortex (ERC) in schizophrenia that supports a neurodevelopmental origin of the disorder. Since impaired myelin basic protein (MBP) gene expression during the migration phase could lead to abnormalities in final laminar position, we performed layer specific measurements of MBP expression in the ERC and hypothesised that migrational disturbances of pre-alpha-cell clusters relate to decreased MBP expression. Paraffin embedded sections of the left entorhinal cortex of 16 schizophrenia patients and 10 control subjects were stained for MBP using routine immunohistochemistry. On each section representative regions of interest were scanned to attain optimal quality images of the gray matter. Results were correlated to previous published disturbed dispersion of pre-alpha-cell clusters in adjacent brain sections. Mean MBP stain-intensity was significantly reduced in schizophrenia patients. Absolute MBP stain-intensity was significantly reduced in layers III and IV in patients. A significant correlation of MBP stain-intensity with the distance of the deep pole of the pre-alpha-cell cluster from the gray-white matter junction was observed in the ERC of schizophrenia patients. The present data provide evidence for reduced MBP expression in the ERC in schizophrenia, which implies deficits in axonal myelination and disturbed connectivity. MBP gene is expressed in oligodendrocytes and neuronal populations during embryonic development, which are important in establishing the structure of the cerebral cortex. Correlation between reduced MBP as a sign of down-regulated MBP gene expression and disorganization of pre-alpha-cell clusters supports a neurodevelopmental origin of pathological processes in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Goettingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Parlapani
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Erdmann
authors.forename: Hans-Gert
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Bernstein
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Breunig
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gruber
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Petroianu
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: von Wilmsdorff
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schneider-Axmann
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Honer
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Falkai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002452:Cell Count; D002465:Cell Movement; D018728:Entorhinal Cortex / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D004676:Myelin Basic Protein