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Major depression and heat shock protein 70-1 gene
Takahiro Takimoto1, Kazuhiko Nakamura, Hitomi Ueno
1Division of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Environmental Health, Azabu University, 1-17-71 Fuchinobe, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8501, Japan.
Background:
Heat shock protein (HSP) expression can be induced by any stress such as with adrenocorticotropic hormones and catecholamines. It has been reported that patients with major depression have a 162-base deletion in the 5'-flanking region of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70)-1 gene mRNA.
Methods:
To detect the HSP70-1 gene mRNA, total RNA was isolated and amplified by RT-PCR, and the sequence was confirmed in all five patients by DNA direct sequencing analysis.
Results:
RT-PCR produced was no deletions of 162 bp in the human heat shock protein 70-1 gene in any of the patients with major depression or the nine controls.
Conclusion:
This finding is inconsistent with previous reports. We suggest that the 162-base deletion in the 5'-flanking region of the HSP70-1 gene mRNA is not associated with major depression. Further studies are required to determine the amounts of HSP70 and its mRNA in stress disorders such as major depression.