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Increased prevalence of Chlamydophila DNA in post-mortem brain frontal cortex from patients with schizophrenia

Barbara Fellerhoff1, Rudolf Wank

  • 1Institute of Immunology, University of Munich, Goethestrasse 31, D-80336 Munich, Germany. barbara.fellerhoff@med.uni-muenchen.de

Schizophrenia Research
|May 7, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Infections may trigger mental illness symptoms. This study found Chlamydophila DNA in brain samples from schizophrenia patients, suggesting a potential link between this infection and schizophrenia development.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Infectious Disease
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Infections are increasingly recognized as potential triggers for mental illness.
  • Previous research indicated higher Chlamydophila DNA prevalence in schizophrenia patients' blood.
  • Monocytes, key targets of Chlamydiaceae, are precursors to microglia, brain-resident immune cells.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the presence of Chlamydiaceae infection in the brain tissue of schizophrenia patients.
  • To determine if Chlamydophila DNA is more prevalent in the frontal cortex of individuals with schizophrenia compared to controls.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized blinded brain DNA samples from the frontal cortex of schizophrenia patients and controls.
  • Employed Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and sequence analysis to detect Chlamydophila DNA.
  • Compared microbial DNA frequencies between the patient and control groups.

Main Results:

  • Chlamydophila DNA was detected in 23.5% of schizophrenia patients (N=34) and 5.7% of controls (N=35).
  • The frequency of Chlamydophila DNA was four times greater in schizophrenia patients than in controls (P=0.045, OR=5.08).

Conclusions:

  • The findings suggest a significant association between Chlamydiaceae infection and schizophrenia.
  • Persistent infection of microglia or neuronal cells by Chlamydophila may disrupt neuronal circuits, potentially contributing to psychiatric illness.

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