Lymphocytes as a neural probe: potential for studying psychiatric disorders
Anatoliy Gladkevich1, Henk F Kauffman, Jakob Korf
1Department of Biological Psychiatry, University Hospital Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. a.v.gladkevich@acggn.azg.nl
Insights
Blood lymphocytes can serve as a accessible probe for central nervous system (CNS) cellular functions. This research explores their potential in understanding neuropsychiatric disorders like depression and Alzheimer's disease.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimmunology
- Molecular Psychiatry
- Cellular Biology
Background:
- Growing evidence highlights the intricate connection between the central nervous system (CNS) and immune system functions.
- Lymphocytes play a crucial role in this neuro-immune axis.
- Investigating CNS functions directly in living patients is challenging, necessitating alternative accessible methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate blood lymphocytes as a surrogate marker for CNS cellular functions, including gene expression.
- To explore the potential of lymphocytes in understanding neuropsychiatric disorders.
- To identify molecular abnormalities for diagnostic and therapeutic advancements.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on neuroimmunology and psychiatric disorders.
- Comparison of cellular functions and signaling pathways between lymphocytes and neural cells.
- Consideration of advanced techniques like cDNA microarray gene expression and proteomics.
Main Results:
- Similarities observed in receptor expression and signal transduction between lymphocytes and neural cells.
- Concomitant alterations in CNS and blood lymphocyte function in neuropsychiatric conditions such as depression, stress, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and schizophrenia.
- Potential for gene expression profiling and proteomics to reveal molecular insights.
Conclusions:
- Blood lymphocytes represent a feasible and accessible probe for assessing certain CNS cellular functions.
- Lymphocytes may reflect the metabolic state of brain cells, offering a "neural probe" for psychiatric research.
- Further research utilizing lymphocytes could aid in the diagnosis and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.
Abstract:
There is an increasing body evidence pointing to a close integration between the central nervous system (CNS) and immunological functions with lymphocytes playing therein a central role. The authors provide arguments to consider blood lymphocytes as a convenient probe of--an albeit--limited number of cellular functions, including gene expression. The use of brain biopsies of living patients is unrealistic for biochemical investigation, therefore lymphocytes may be a convenient and accessible alternative. Numerous studies showed similarities between receptor expression and mechanisms of transduction processes of cells in the nervous system (e.g. neurons and glia) and lymphocytes. In several neuropsychiatric disorders, alteration of metabolism and cellular functions in the CNS, as well as disturbances in the main neurotransmitter and hormonal systems are concomitant with altered function and metabolism of blood lymphocytes. We summarize relevant investigations on depression, stress, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and schizophrenia. New techniques such as cDNA microarray gene expression and proteomics may give clues to define molecular abnormalities in psychiatric disorders and could eventually reveal information for diagnostic and treatment purposes. Taken together, these considerations suggest that lymphocyte could reflect the metabolism of brain cells, and may be exploited as a neural and possible genetic probe in studies of psychiatric disorders.
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