Related Experiment Videos
Apolipoprotein E epsilon2 allele and early onset schizophrenia
T Kimura1, S Yokota, R Igata-Yi
1Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kumamoto University School of Medicine, Honjo, Japan. tkimura@kaiju.medic.kumamoto-u.ac.jp
Neuroscience Letters
|August 1, 1997
Summary
Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) epsilon2 may protect against early-onset schizophrenia, while ApoE epsilon4 shows no link to schizophrenia development in Japanese individuals. This study examined ApoE phenotypes in patients and controls.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is a key protein in lipid metabolism and has been implicated in various neurological disorders.
- The role of different apolipoprotein E (ApoE) phenotypes in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between apolipoprotein E (ApoE) phenotypes and schizophrenia in a Japanese population.
- To determine if specific ApoE alleles are linked to familial or early-onset schizophrenia.
Main Methods:
- Serum samples were collected from 122 patients with schizophrenia and 126 healthy controls in Japan.
- Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) phenotypes were analyzed using isoelectric focusing/immunoblotting.
Main Results:
- A trend towards a decreased frequency of the ApoE epsilon4 allele was observed in patients with schizophrenia.
- No significant association was found between ApoE epsilon4 and familial or early-onset schizophrenia.
- A decreased frequency of the ApoE epsilon2 allele was detected in patients with early-onset schizophrenia.
Conclusions:
- Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) epsilon2 may confer a protective effect against the development of early-onset schizophrenia.
- Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) epsilon4 does not appear to be involved in the development of schizophrenia in the studied Japanese population.