title: Metabolic, hormonal and stress-related molecular changes in post-mortem pituitary glands from schizophrenia subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify a molecular profile for schizophrenia using post-mortem pituitaries from schizophrenia and control subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Molecular profiling analysis of pituitaries from schizophrenia (n = 14) and control (n = 15) subjects was carried out using a combination of liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS(E)), multiplex analyte profiling (MAP), two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) and Western blot analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This led to identification of differentially expressed molecules in schizophrenia patients including hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis-associated constituents such as cortisol, pro-adrenocorticotropic hormone, arginine vasopressin precursor, agouti-related protein, growth hormone, prolactin and secretagogin, as well as molecules associated with lipid transport and metabolism such as apolipoproteins A1, A2, C3 and H. Altered levels of secretagogin in serum from a cohort of living first onset schizophrenia patients were also detected, suggesting disease association and illustrating the potential for translating some components of this molecular profile to serum-based assays.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Future studies on the molecules identified here may lead to new insights into schizophrenia pathophysiology and pave the way for translation of novel diagnostics for use in a clinical setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge , Cambridge , UK.
authors.forename: Divya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Krishnamurthy
authors.forename: Laura W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Yishai
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: Theodoros A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Koutroukides
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rahmoune
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pietsch
authors.forename: Natacha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vanattou-Saifoudine
authors.forename: F Markus
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Leweke
authors.forename: Paul C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Guest
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bahn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult