Effect of Tryptophan Hydroxylase-2 rs7305115 SNP on suicide attempts risk in major depression

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Suicide and major depressive disorders (MDD) are strongly associated, and genetic factors are responsible for at least part of the variability in suicide risk. We investigated whether variation at the tryptophan hydroxylase-2 (TPH2) gene rs7305115 SNP may predispose to suicide attempts in MDD.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We genotyped TPH2 gene rs7305115 SNP in 215 MDD patients with suicide and matched MDD patients without suicide. Differences in behavioral and personality traits according to genotypic variation were investigated by logistic regression analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were no significant differences between MDD patients with suicide and controls in genotypic (AG and GG) frequencies for rs7305115 SNP, but the distribution of AA genotype differed significantly (14.4% vs. 29.3%, <it>p </it>< 0.001). The G-allele frequency was significantly higher in cases than control group (58.1% vs.45.6%, <it>p </it>< 0.001), but the A-allele carrier indicated a decreased trend in MDD with suicide behaviors than control group (41.9% vs.54.4%, <it>p </it>< 0.001). The multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that TPH2 rs7305115 AA (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.22-0.99), family history of suicide (OR 2.98, 95% CI 1.17-5.04), negative life events half year ago (OR 6.64, 95% CI 2.48-11.04) and hopelessness (OR 7.68, 95% CI 5.79-13.74) were significantly associated with the suicide behaviors in MDD patients.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The study suggested that hopelessness, negative life events and family history of suicide were risk factors of attempted suicide in MDD while the TPH2 rs7305115A remained a significant protective predictor of suicide attempts.</p

Can Health Communication Help to Tackle Youth Drug Addiction Problems in Hong Kong, China?

Overall, there are impacts of mass media on public health issues. However, whether the impacts are positive or negative, effective or ineffective, rely very much on a wise use of health communication tactics and a close collaboration with various parties including public health specialists, media gatekeepers as well as the target audiences etc. This paper attempts to discuss whether health communication contributes to tackle youth drug addiction problems in Hong Kong, China

Gene expression profiling in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of early-onset schizophrenia

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a severe chronic psychiatric disorder with wide prevalence and high morbidity. We know little about SZ's etiology and pathophysiology at present. The study of gene expression profile is useful for us to identify potential biomarkers at molecular level and explain possible pathogenesis of SZ. Therefore we recently compared gene expression profiles in PMBCs from EOS cases and healthy controls using microarrays. Here we will describe in detail the contents and quality control of the microarray experiment. The raw microarray data are accessible through GEO series accession number GSE54913

Identification of the mRNA expression status of the dopamine D2 receptor and dopamine transporter in peripheral blood lymphocytes of schizophrenia patients.

The aim of this study was to detect the mRNA expression levels of the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) and dopamine transporter (DAT) in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) of schizophrenia patients and to explore the relationship between the mRNA expression levels and the clinical symptoms of schizophrenia. The research included 25 cases of acute schizophrenia patients, 27 cases of chronic schizophrenia patients, and 30 healthy controls. In every case, we measured the mRNA levels of DRD2 and DAT in PBLs by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT-PCR), and we evaluated the patients' clinical symptoms using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). DRD2 mRNA levels in PBLs of acute schizophrenia patients, chronic schizophrenia patients, and healthy controls were 0.32±0.13, 0.37±0.19, and 0.34±0.09, respectively, and the difference was not significant. DAT mRNA levels in PBLs of the abovementioned groups were 0.48±0.24, 0.58±0.21 and 0.39±0.24, respectively (F = 4.330, P = 0.017), and comparisons between every group showed that DAT mRNA levels in PBLs of chronic schizophrenia patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (MS interclass = 0.198, p = 0.005). The correlation between DRD2 mRNA levels in PBLs and the positive symptom points of PANSS in acute schizophrenia patients was significant (r = 0.443, p = 0.044). In conclusion, DRD2 mRNA levels in PBLs are correlated with positive symptoms in acute schizophrenia patients, and DAT mRNA levels in PBLs of chronic schizophrenia patients are over-expressed

Influence of clinical factors on DAT and DRD2 mRNA levels.

<p>NS<b>*</b>: Not statistically significant.</p