title: Human endogenous retroviruses and ADHD.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Several lines of evidences suggest that human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are implicated in the development of many complex diseases with a multifactorial aetiology and a strong heritability, such as neurological and psychiatric diseases. Attention deficit hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that results from a complex interaction of environmental, biological and genetic factors. Our aim was to analyse the expression levels of three HERV families (HERV-H, K and W) in patients with ADHD.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of retroviral mRNAs from the three HERV families was evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 30 patients with ADHD and 30 healthy controls by quantitative RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression levels of HERV-H are significantly higher in patients with ADHD compared to healthy controls, while there are no differences in the expression levels of HERV-K and W.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since the ADHD aetiology is due to a complex interaction of environmental, biological and genetic factors, HERVs may represent one link among these factors and clinical phenotype of ADHD. A future confirmation of HERV-H overexpression in a larger number of ADHD patients will make possible to identify it as a new parameter for this clinical condition, also contributing to deepen the study on the role of HERVs in the neurodevelopment diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, "Tor Vergata" University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Balestrieri
authors.forename: Mariabernarda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pitzianti
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Matteucci
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: D'Agati
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sorrentino
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baratta
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caterina
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zenobi
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Curatolo
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Garaci
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sinibaldi-Vallebona
authors.forename: Augusto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pasini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000209:etiology* / Q000821:virology; D002648:Child; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: ADHD; HERV-H; Human endogenous retrovirus; neurodevelopmental diseases; peripheral blood mononuclear cells