title: Monitoring candidate gene expression variations before, during and after a first major depressive episode in a 51-year-old man.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although psychiatric disorders are frequently characterized by clinical heterogeneity, high recurrence, and unpredictable prognosis, studies of mRNA expression variations in blood cells from psychiatric patients constitute a promising avenue to establish clinical biomarkers. We report here, to our knowledge, the first genetic monitoring of a major depressive episode (MDE).
  
  
  METHODS
  The subject is a 51-year-old male, who was healthy at baseline and whose blood mRNA was monitored over 67 weeks for expression variations of 9 candidate genes. At week 20 the subject experienced a mild to moderate unexpected MDE, and oral antidepressant treatment was initiated at week 29. At week 36, the patient recovered from his MDE. After 6 months, antidepressant treatment was discontinued and the subject remained free of depressive symptoms. Genetic monitoring revealed that mRNA expression of SLC6A4/5HTT increased with the emergence of a depressive state, which later returned to basal levels after antidepressant treatment and during MDE recovery. PDLIM5, S100A10 and TNF mRNA showed also an interesting pattern of expression with regards to MDE evolution.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This case demonstrated the applicability of peripheral mRNA expression as a way to monitor the natural history of MDE.
authors.forename: Raoul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Belzeaux
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Azorin
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, CRN2M UMR 7286, 51 Bd Pierre Dramard, 13344 cedex 15 Marseille, France. el-cherif.ibrahim@univ-amu.fr.
authors.forename: El Chérif
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000235:genetics; D017306:Annexin A2 / Q000235:genetics; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D005819:Genetic Markers; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D060588:LIM Domain Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics; D000099248:S100 Calcium Binding Protein A10
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D017306:Annexin A2; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D005819:Genetic Markers; D060588:LIM Domain Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D009418:S100 Proteins; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000099248:S100 Calcium Binding Protein A10; C512485:PDLIM5 protein, human; C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; C439524:TNF protein, human