Peripheral SLC6A4 Gene Expression in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in the Han Chinese Population

Xuemei Wang; Qing Zhao; Wen Chen; Shunying Yu; Zhen Wang; Zeping Xiao

doi:10.11919/j.issn.1002-0829.216105

Peripheral SLC6A4 Gene Expression in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in the Han Chinese Population

Shanghai Arch Psychiatry. 2017 Jun 25;29(3):146-153. doi: 10.11919/j.issn.1002-0829.216105.

Authors

Xuemei Wang¹, Qing Zhao², Wen Chen¹, Shunying Yu^{2

3}, Zhen Wang^{2

3}, Zeping Xiao⁴

Affiliations

¹ The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
² Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
³ Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai, China.
⁴ Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 227 Chong Qing Nan Rd, Shanghai, China.

Abstract
in English, Chinese

Background: Serotonergic system dysfunction has been implicated in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This study examined peripheral SLC6A4 gene expression in OCD patients and healthy controls to explore the relationship between SLC6A4 and OCD.

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.

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。.

Keywords: OCD; RT-PCR; SLC6A4; Yale–Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale score(Y-BOCS); gene expression.

Abstract in English, Chinese

Abstract
in English, Chinese