Peripheral SLC6A4 gene expression in obsessive-compulsive disorder in the Han Chinese population

背景:有研究提示5-羟色胺系统的功能障碍与强迫症(obsessive-compulsive disorder,OCD)有关。目标:本研究拟定量OCD患者的外周SLC6A4基因表达,以探讨SLC6A4和OCD之间的关系。方法:受试为50例首发OCD患者和60例年龄和性别匹配的健康对照,通过实时定量逆转录聚合酶链反应(real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction,RT-PCR)定量外周白细胞SLC6A4基因表达。采用Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale(Y-BOCS)评估OCD的严重性和亚型。结果:以甘油醛-3-磷酸脱氢酶(GAPDH)标准化定量外周SLC6A4基因表达量,在OCD组和健康对照组(z=0.79,p=0.428)之间没有显著差异。男性OCD患者显示外周SLC6A4低基因表达的倾向(z=-1.66,p=0.096)。研究也未能发现SLC6A4基因表达量与OCD的严重性和亚型之间有显著相关性。结论:SLC6A4基因表达量与OCD的严重程度和亚型之间没有相关性,但男性OCD患者呈外周SLC6A4低基因表达倾向。本研究表明,中国汉族人群的外周SLC6A4基因表达可能并非有效的生物标记物。

Background： Serotonergic system dysfunction has been This study examined peripheral SLC6A4 gene expression relationship between SLC6A4 and OCD. mplicated in obsessive-compulsive disorder （OCD）. n OCD patients and healthy controls to explore the Methods： Participants included 50 first episode OCD patients and 60 age and gender-matched healthy controls. Relative SLC6A4 gene expression were examined by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR） in peripheral leukocytes of all the subjects. The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale （Y-BOCS） was used to assess the severity and subtype of OCD. Results： SLC6A4 gene expression, normalized by glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase （GAPDH）, were not significantly different between the OCD patients and healthy controls（z=-0.79, p=0.428）. Male OCD patients showed a tendency of low gene expression of SLC6A4 in peripheral blood （z=-1.66, p=0.096）. We did not find a significant correlation between SLC6A4 expression and the severity and subtype of OCD. Conclusion： There is no correlation between SLC6A4 expression levels and the severity and subtype of OCD, but male OCD patients showed a tendency of low gene expression of SLC6A4 in peripheral blood. These results suggest that gene expression of SLC6A4 in peripheral blood may not be a useful biomarker of OCD in the Han Chinese population.