A variant of the neuronal amino acid transporter SLC6A15 is associated with ACTH and cortisol responses and cognitive performance in unipolar depression.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is accompanied by both cognitive impairments and a hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) system, resulting in an enhanced glucocorticoid secretion. Cortisol acts via mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors densely located in the hippocampus, a brain area that is important regarding cognitive functions and especially memory functions. Recently, a variant (rs1545843) affecting transcription of the human SLC6A15 gene has been associated with depression in a genome-wide association study. In an animal model, the neuronal amino acid transporter SLC6A15 was found to be decreased in stress-susceptible mice. Against the background of stress impacting on the activity of the HPA axis, we have investigated alterations of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol secretion in the combined dexamethasone/corticotrophin-releasing hormone (Dex/CRH) test as well as memory and attention performance in a sample of 248 patients with unipolar depression and 172 healthy control subjects genotyped for rs1545843. MDD patients carrying the depression-associated AA genotype showed enhanced maximum and area under the curve ACTH and cortisol answers (p = 0.03) as well as an impaired memory and impaired sustained attention performance (p = 0.04) compared to carriers of at least one G allele. No effects of the SLC6A15 variant were found in the healthy control group. Our findings argue for a role of the SLC6A15 gene in ACTH and cortisol secretion during the Dex/CRH test and furthermore in the occurrence of cognitive impairments in unipolar depression.

The functional coding variant Asn107Ile of the neuropeptide S receptor gene (NPSR1) is associated with schizophrenia and modulates verbal memory and the acoustic startle response.

Recently, the neuropeptide S (NPS) neurotransmitter system has been identified as a promising psychopharmacological drug target given that NPS has shown anxiolytic-like and stress-reducing properties and memory-enhancing effects in rodent models. NPS binds to the G-protein-coupled receptor encoded by the neuropeptide S receptor gene (NPSR1). A functional variant within this gene leads to an amino-acid exchange (rs324981, Asn107Ile) resulting in a gain-of-function in the Ile107 variant which was recently associated with panic disorder in two independent studies. A potential psychopharmacological effect of NPS on schizophrenia psychopathology was demonstrated by showing that NPS can block NMDA antagonist-induced deficits in prepulse inhibition. We therefore explored a potential role of the NPSR1 Asn107Ile variation in schizophrenia. A case-control sample of 778 schizophrenia patients and 713 healthy control subjects was successfully genotyped for NPSR1 Asn107Ile. Verbal declarative memory and acoustic startle response were measured in subsamples of the schizophrenia patients. The case-control comparison revealed that the low-functioning NPSR1 Asn107 variant was significantly associated with schizophrenia (OR 1.19, p=0.017). Moreover, specifically decreased verbal memory consolidation was found in homozygous Asn107 carriers while memory acquisition was unaffected by NPSR1 genotype. The schizophrenia patients carrying the Ile107 variant demonstrated significantly reduced startle amplitudes but unaffected prepulse inhibition and habituation. The present study confirms findings from rodent models demonstrating an effect of NPS on memory consolidation and startle response in schizophrenia patients. Based on these findings, we consider NPS as a promising target for antipsychotic drug development.

Association of amygdala volumes with cortisol secretion in unipolar depressed patients.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is accompanied by morphological changes of brain structures which are of great importance in the neural circuitry mediating depression like the hippocampus and the amygdala. Hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) system resulting in enhanced glucocorticoid secretion can often be observed during depression and has been thought to play an important role in inducing these morphological changes. We used magnetic resonance imaging to investigate alterations of amygdala and hippocampal volumes in 86 in-patients with unipolar depression and 87 healthy controls, and we then correlated amygdala and hippocampal volumes of 76 in-patients with the area under the curve of cortisol secretion in the dexamethasone/corticotropin releasing hormone (Dex/CRH) test at baseline and during short-term antidepressant therapy. In line with recently published studies both left and right amygdala volumes of patients in a first depressive episode were smaller than those of healthy controls. Patients with recurrent depressive episodes showed a reduction of hippocampal volumes, while amygdala volumes were normal. Larger left and right amygdala volumes correlated with a more pronounced reduction of HPA activity, measured by the cortisol secretion in the combined DEX/CRH test, during antidepressant therapy in patients with recurrent depressive episodes.

The schizophrenia risk gene ZNF804A influences the antipsychotic response of positive schizophrenia symptoms.

Genetic factors determining the response to antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia are poorly understood. A new schizophrenia susceptibility gene, the zinc-finger gene ZNF804A, has recently been identified. To assess the pharmacogenetic importance of this gene, we treated 144 schizophrenia patients and assessed the response of positive and negative symptoms by PANSS. Patients homozygous for the ZNF804A risk allele for schizophrenia (rs1344706 AA) showed poorer improvement of positive symptoms (7.35 ± 0.46) compared to patients with a protective allele (9.41 ± 0.71, P = 0.022). This provides further evidence that ZNF804A is of functional relevance to schizophrenia and indicates that ZNF804A may be a novel target for pharmacological interventions.

A promoter variant of SHANK1 affects auditory working memory in schizophrenia patients and in subjects clinically at risk for psychosis.

Mutations in postsynaptic scaffolding genes contribute to autism, thus suggesting a role in pathological processes in neurodevelopment. Recently, two de novo mutations in SHANK3 were described in schizophrenia patients. In most cases, abnormal SHANK3 genotype was also accompanied by cognitive disruptions. The present study queries whether common SHANK variants may also contribute to neuropsychological dysfunctions in schizophrenia. We genotyped five common coding or promoter variants located in SHANK1, SHANK2 and SHANK3. A comprehensive test battery was used to assess neuropsychological functions in 199 schizophrenia patients and 206 healthy control subjects. In addition, an independent sample of 77 subjects at risk for psychosis was analyzed for replication of significant findings. We found the T allele of the SHANK1 promoter variant rs3810280 to lead to significantly impaired auditory working memory as assessed with digit span (12.5 ± 3.6 vs. 14.8 ± 4.1, P < .001) in schizophrenia cases, applying strict Bonferroni correction for multiple testing. This finding was replicated for forward digit span in the at-risk sample (7.1 ± 2.0 vs. 8.3 ± 2.0, P = .044). Previously, altered memory functions and reduced dendritic spines and postsynaptic density of excitatory synapses were reported in SHANK1 knock-out mice. Moreover, the atypical neuroleptic clozapine was found to increase SHANK1 density in rats. Our findings suggest a role of SHANK1 in working memory deficits in schizophrenia, which may arise from neurodevelopmental changes to prefrontal cortical areas.

PCLO rs2522833 modulates HPA system response to antidepressant treatment in major depressive disorder.

Variant rs2522833 of the Piccolo-encoding gene PCLO has recently been found to be associated with major depressive disorder (MDD). PCLO encodes a presynaptic cytomatrix protein which influences monoamine neurotransmitter release. Piccolo could therefore play an important role in treatment response to antidepressant therapy and the improvement of alterations in HPA system reactivity. We investigated the influence of the coding variant rs2522833 in the PCLO gene on treatment response in 205 in-patients with unipolar depression. Treatment response was measured (1) at the level of psychopathology using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) and (2) with the combined dexamethasone/corticotropin-releasing hormone (Dex/CRH) test, which is a refined tool for showing dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) system, a neurobiological finding in depression. While we did not find an association between variation in PCLO and HAMD scores, HPA dysregulation was less pronounced in carriers of the AA genotype than in carriers of one or two C alleles. HPA activity of individuals with the AA genotype only marginally changed during 4-wk antidepressant treatment, whereas C allele carriers showed a higher hormonal secretion at admission than carriers of the AA genotype but lower responsivity to the Dex/CRH challenge after 4 wk. Our results point to a moderating role of PCLO SNP rs2522833 on HPA regulation during antidepressant treatment, which may represent a neurobiological feature of stability of clinical response.

Novel schizophrenia risk gene TCF4 influences verbal learning and memory functioning in schizophrenia patients.

BACKGROUND: Recently, a role of the transcription factor 4 (TCF4) gene in schizophrenia has been reported in a large genome-wide association study. It has been hypothesized that TCF4 affects normal brain development and TCF4 has been related to different forms of neurodevelopmental disorders. Schizophrenia patients exhibit strong impairments of verbal declarative memory (VDM) functions. Thus, we hypothesized that the disease-associated C allele of the rs9960767 polymorphism of the TCF4 gene led to impaired VDM functioning in schizophrenia patients. METHOD: The TCF4 variant was genotyped in 401 schizophrenia patients. VDM functioning was measured using the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). RESULTS: Carriers of the C allele were less impaired in recognition compared to those carrying the AA genotype (13.76 vs. 13.06; p = 0.049). Moreover, a trend toward higher scores in patients with the risk allele was found for delayed recall (10.24 vs. 9.41; p = 0.088). The TCF4 genotype did not influence intelligence or RAVLT immediate recall or total verbal learning. CONCLUSION: VDM function is influenced by the TCF4 gene in schizophrenia patients. However, the elevated risk for schizophrenia is not conferred by TCF4-mediated VDM impairment.

DNA sequence variants of the FKBP5 gene are associated with unipolar depression.

FKBP5 is a glucocorticoid receptor-regulating co-chaperone of hsp-90 and, therefore, is suggested to play a role in the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical system and the pathophysiology of depression. Previously, three studies identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the FKBP5 gene associated with response to antidepressants, and one study found an association with diagnosis of depression. We selected five markers from the region of interest. A case-control sample comprising 268 German in-patients with recurrent unipolar depression, and 284 German controls recruited from the general population were available. Association of the selected FKBP5 sequence variants with clinical depression were analysed. In addition, we explored association with treatment response by (a) the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and (b) the dexamethasone/corticotrophin-releasing hormone (Dex/CRH) test, as well as association with hippocampal volumes in a subpopulation of 110 patients. For three of the five investigated SNPs we were able to show association with the diagnosis of depression. In the subpopulation of 110 patients, diagnosis-related alleles were also associated with the reduction of cortisol secretion in the Dex/CRH test during a 4-wk treatment period, while psychopathological changes were not associated. Furthermore, diagnosis-related alleles were associated with reduction of the hippocampal volume. This study extends the replicated association of a promoter SNP with antidepressant response on a biological level by demonstrating normalization of the cortisol response under Dex/CRH stimulation during treatment. Furthermore, several of the investigated SNPs were associated with the disease status and the intermediate phenotype of hippocampal volume.

DAOA/G72 predicts the progression of prodromal syndromes to first episode psychosis.

The genetic factors determining the progression of prodromal syndromes to first episode schizophrenia have remained enigmatic to date. In a unique prospective multicentre trial, we assessed whether variants at the D-amino acid oxidase activator (DAOA)/G72 locus influence progression to psychosis. Young subjects with a prodromal syndrome were observed prospectively for up to 2 years to assess the incidence of progression to schizophrenia or first episode psychosis. Of the 82 probands with a prodromal syndrome, 21 probands experienced progression to psychosis within the observation period. Assessment of nine common variants in the DAOA/G72 locus yielded two variants with the predictive value for symptom progression: all four probands with the rs1341402 CC genotype developed psychosis compared with 17 out of 78 probands with the TT or CT genotypes (chi(2) = 12.348; df = 2; p = 0.002). The relative risk for progression to psychosis was significantly increased in the CC genotype: RR = 4.588 (95% CI = 2.175-4.588). Similarly, for rs778294, 50% of probands with the AA genotype, but only 22% of probands with a GG or GA genotype progressed to psychosis (chi(2) = 7.027; df = 2; p = 0.030). Moreover, haplotype analysis revealed a susceptibility haplotype for progression to psychosis. This is one of the first studies to identify a specific genetic factor for the progression of prodromal syndromes to schizophrenia, and further underscores the importance of the DAOA/G72 gene for schizophrenia.

Influence of 5-HT3 receptor subunit genes HTR3A, HTR3B, HTR3C, HTR3D and HTR3E on treatment response to antipsychotics in schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVES: Among serotonin (5-HT) receptors, the 5-HT3 receptor is the only ligand-gated ion channel. 5-HT3 antagonists such as ondansetron and tropisetron may improve auditory gating and neurocognitive deficits in schizophrenic patients. Moreover, many antipsychotic drugs are antagonists at 5-HT3 receptors. However, the role of 5-HT3 receptor variants on response to antipsychotic drugs in schizophrenic patients is still unclear. METHODS: In a prospective, randomized, double-blind study, we have assessed six functional and coding variants of the subunit genes HTR3A, HTR3B as well as the novel HTR3C, HTR3D, and HTR3E subunits in the response to haloperidol or risperidone. Seventy patients were treated for 4 weeks and positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and general psychopathology were measured by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). RESULTS: HTR3E had an effect on the speed of response to antipsychotics. GG-allele carriers responded more quickly to treatment on the PANSS negative symptom subscale (P = 0.03) and on the total PANSS score (P = 0.04) irrespective of medication. In a second independent study of 144 schizophrenia patients treated with atypical antipsychotics, this effect could not be confirmed. CONCLUSION: Our findings argue against a major effect of HTR3 variants in response to antipsychotics. Solely, the HTR3E and also the HTR3A variant could exert a weak effect on the speed of response to antipsychotics.

The value of HMPAO SPECT in predicting treatment response to citalopram in patients with major depression.

Alterations of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in prefrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex are conspicuous imaging findings in patients with major depression (MD). While these rCBF changes have been suggested as functional disease markers, data in large patient samples examining treatment response prediction to antidepressant therapy are limited. This study examined the predictive value of Tc-99m-HMPAO-SPECT for subsequent treatment response to antidepressant therapy with citalopram in an unprecedented large collective of patients. Ninety-three patients with MD were examined with Tc-99m-HMPAO-SPECT twice, at the beginning of citalopram-treatment (T1) and after 4 weeks of treatment (T2). To determine the impact of rCBF changes associated with treatment response, the patient sample was divided into two subgroups: responders (44 patients) and non-responders (49 patients). A two-sample t-test was used to determine group-specific rCBF-differences. Age, gender and initial Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) were treated as regressors of no interest. The responder group revealed significant relative rCBF increases at T1 in a large region en-compassing predominantly prefrontal and temporal cortices as well as subgenual cingulate cortex. No relative rCBF decreases were detected in this group. The comparison between T1 and T2 revealed trends of rCBF decreases in inferior frontal gyrus and rCBF increases in premotor cortex in the responder group. Our data show that rCBF measurements with TC-99M-HMPAO-SPECT provide a predictor estimate for subsequent treatment response in depressed patients undergoing antidepressant therapy with citalopram. This effect is highly significant and, most notably, independent of the initial HRSD score.

Further evidence for a functional role of the glutamate receptor gene GRM3 in schizophrenia.

In recent years, evidence has been accumulating indicating a major role of glutamate in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Of particular importance in this regard are the metabotropic glutamate receptors (GRM). Thus, a recently published trial of the amino acid analogue LY2140023, which exerts its effects through the activation of the glutamate receptors GRM3/GRM2, showed an improvement of positive and negative symptoms comparable to treatment with olanzapine. A functional variant of GRM3 has been described which modulates synaptic glutamate levels. We assessed whether this functional variant rs6465084 is related to schizophrenia in a large sample of patients and controls. We found an increased frequency of the A allele (p=0.027) and the AA genotype (p=0.024) in schizophrenia patients. Moreover, in an assessment of schizophrenia endophenotypes, patients of the AA genotype performed poorly in the digit symbol test, a measure of attention (p=0.008). Our results provide further evidence for the potential importance of the glutamate receptor GRM3 in schizophrenia, and indicate that the novel antipsychotic LY2140023 may actually be targeting a pathogenic pathway of schizophrenia.

Unipolar depression and hippocampal volume: impact of DNA sequence variants of the glucocorticoid receptor gene.

Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) plays a major role in regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) system; HPA dysregulation represents the most consistent biological pattern of depression. Multiple functional polymorphisms are known for the GR gene, which might influence the development of unipolar depression. Previous studies reported associations to some variants in this gene but not consistently so. We investigated seven genetic polymorphisms in the GR gene (NR3C1) located in the putative promoter, exon 2 and intron 2 region. Study populations were 322 German inpatients with recurrent unipolar depression, and 298 German controls recruited from the general population. The relationships between intermediate phenotypes (hippocampal and amygdala volumes) and NR3C1 DNA sequence variants were additionally explored in a subpopulation of patients. We found association between the diagnosis of depression and DNA sequence variants in intron 2 as well as in the 5' region of the NR3C1 gene but not for the previously studied exon 2 and putative promoter variants (global test after control of multiple testing, P = 0.02). In patients, diagnosis-related alleles were also associated to hippocampal volume reduction and amygdala volume variation. Unipolar depression is associated with DNA variants of the NR3C1 gene in our population. Neurobiological underpinnings of depression as volumetric reductions of the hippocampus may also be mediated by variants in this gene.

Investigation of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) in schizophrenia and in the response to antipsychotics.

Serotonergic transmission is considered relevant in the pathophysiology and the treatment of schizophrenia. Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) is the rate limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of serotonin. While the TPH1 gene has been found to be associated with schizophrenia, studies focusing on TPH2 variants did not yield conclusive results for schizophrenia or the response to antipsychotic medication. We analyzed eleven TPH2 SNPs in two case-control samples consisting of 4453 individuals in total. Six SNPs were selected because of their potential functional relevance (rs4570625, rs11178997, rs11178998, rs7954758, rs7305115, and, rs4290270) and were supported by another 5 tagging SNPs selected based on HapMap LD information. In the discovery sample (1476 individuals), we observed a significant association with schizophrenia for rs10784941 (p = 0.009, OR minor G-allele 0.82 [0.71-0.95]) and rs4565946 (p = 0.011, OR minor T-allele 0.83 [0.71-0.96]). Association was also observed with a common rs4570625-rs4565946 haplotype (OR G-C haplotype 1.20 [1.02-1.40]; p = 0.0046). Single-marker associations could not be replicated in the replication sample consisting of 2977 individuals, but there was a strong trend regarding the rs4570625-rs4565946 G-C haplotype (OR 1.10 [0.98-1.24]; p(one-sided test) = 0.054). In smaller sub-samples, the rare rs4570625-rs4565946 T-T haplotype was associated with reduced processing speed (n = 193, p = 0.004) and sensorimotor gating (n = 68, p = 0.006) of schizophrenia patients. TPH2 variants and the rs4570625-rs4565946 G-C haplotype did not influence the beneficial response to antipsychotic drugs (n = 210) after four weeks of treatment administering the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale of Schizophrenia (PANSS). We also investigated the association of the SNPs to treatment response, but did not get significant results. In sum, our results argue for only a minor role of TPH2 in schizophrenia.

Influence of 5-HTTLPR polymorphism on resting state perfusion in patients with major depression.

Neuroimaging studies in major depressive disorder (MDD) have indicated dysregulation in a network involving prefrontal cortex, subgenual cingulate and the amygdalae, which is known to be modulated by serotonin. The serotonergic system is the principal target for pharmacological treatment in MDD and the functional variable serotonin promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) influences susceptibility, course and treatment response of MDD. Using data from a previously published sample of 89 MDD-patients, we examined post hoc the effect of 5-HTTLPR status on resting state perfusion, as measured with (99m)Tc-HMPAO-SPECT. MDD patients were stratified according to receptor polymorphism, both using a bi-allelic (group A: L/L vs. group B: S/S and S/L genotype) and a tri-allelic approach (Group A': LA/LA vs. Group B': non-LA/LA genotype). There were no significant differences between both subgroups regarding age, gender, severity of depression, medication, or treatment response (p > 0.1). Using the bi-allelic approach, Group B, compared to group A, revealed a significantly higher resting state perfusion in medial prefrontal cortex (p(voxel) (FWE) < 0.05). Additional ROI analyses showed relative overactivity of the amygdalae in group B (p(voxel) (FWE) < 0.05). Similar effects were observed in the tri-allelic approach. The opposite contrasts (Group A > Group B) revealed no significant effects. We demonstrate that in patients with MDD, 5-HTTLPR gene polymorphism modulates resting state perfusion in key structures of mood processing. While the clinical impact of these findings will need to be further investigated in larger cohort studies, the necessity to monitor and to account for individual 5-HTTLPR-status in future MDD imaging studies is highly recommended.

Higher overcommitment to work is associated with higher plasma cortisol but not ACTH responses in the combined dexamethasone/CRH test in apparently healthy men and women.

BACKGROUND: Overcommitment (OC) is a pattern of excessive striving that has been associated with alterations in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system. To investigate whether overcommitment is associated with alterations in HPA system function we measured cortisol and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) release in response to the combined dexamethasone/CRH test. METHODS: We recruited 92 men and 108 women of a wide range of OC scores including the minimum (6) and maximum (24) of possible OC scores (mean+/-SEM: 13.25+/-.27). We repeatedly measured plasma cortisol and ACTH levels in the combined dexamethasone/CRH test after injection of 100mul CRH preceded by administration of 1.5mg dexamethasone the night before. Moreover, we assessed depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI) and work stress (effort-reward-imbalance, ERI). RESULTS: Independent of age and gender, higher OC was associated with higher repeated cortisol (interaction time-by-OC: p=.014, f=.15) but not ACTH (p=.22) secretion in the combined dexamethasone/CRH test. Similarly, higher cortisol (beta=.16, p=.029, R(2)=.02) but not ACTH (p=.47) increase following CRH injection was predicted by higher OC. Depressive symptoms (BDI score) and work stress scores (effort-reward-ratio) did not relate to neuroendocrine responses to the dexamethasone/CRH test. Controlling for depressive symptoms and work stress scores in addition to age and gender did not change results. OC was not associated with ACTH or cortisol pre-test levels. DISCUSSION: Whereas OC was not associated with alterations in negative feedback sensitivity after dexamethasone administration, our findings indicate that with increasing OC scores, a higher reactivity of the adrenal cortex together with a normal reactivity of the pituitary is observed following subsequent stimulation by CRH injection.

Reduced cardio-respiratory coupling after treatment with nortriptyline in contrast to S-citalopram.

OBJECTIVE: Major depressive disorder is associated with increased cardiac mortality. A decrease in vagal modulation related to reduced heart rate variability might contribute to increased mortality among many other factors. We sought to examine the hypothesis that nortriptyline treatment will be associated with a decrease in heart rate variability and coupling between heart rate and respiration compared to treatment with S-citalopram. METHODS: Fifty-two patients suffering from major depression were included. Patients were examined unmedicated in the acute stage and after 5weeks of treatment. Twenty-six were reinvestigated after they received S-citalopram and 26, after nortriptyline. We used non-linear measures of heart rate variability and also a novel measure to examine cardio-respiratory coupling to assess cardiac vagal modulation. RESULTS: There were significant decreases of non-linear measures of heart rate variability in the nortriptyline group in addition to reduced cardio-respiratory coupling in comparison to the group of patients that received S-citalopram. We observed a significant association between the severity of the disease and vagal withdrawal prior to treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that S-citalopram influences autonomic modulation on different regulatory levels to a lesser extent than nortriptyline. Our results have implications for treatment of patients with depression as some of them may already have a higher risk for cardiovascular mortality. In addition, it underlines the beneficial use of SSRIs in patients with cardiac diseases.

Antiplatelet effects of antidepressant treatment: a randomized comparison between escitalopram and nortriptyline.

INTRODUCTION: Depressive disorders have been identified as independent risk factors for coronary heart disease. The present study (i) compared platelet function of depressed patients with that of healthy controls, (ii) analysed possible aggregability changes during 3 months of treatment with antidepressants, and (iii) sought to assess different effects of escitalopram and nortriptyline on platelet aggregation. METHODS: Blood samples of 91 major depressed patients and 91 healthy controls were analysed with whole blood aggregometry in a case-control setting. Depressed patients were randomized to two groups treated either with escitalopram (n=47) or nortriptyline (n=44). Platelet aggregation was studied on days 0, 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 84 of continuing medication and was determined in response to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and collagen. RESULTS: Platelet aggregation induced by ADP was increased among depressive patients compared with that of healthy controls (26%, p=0.006). With antidepressant treatment, changes in platelet aggregation remained comparable in both groups at early time points (d1 to 21). In contrast, at day 84, patients with antidepressive response revealed significant differences in both medication groups: Patients receiving escitalopram showed a 23% decrease of ADP induced aggregation (p=0.03) and a 15% decrease of collagen induced aggregation (p=0.03). With nortriptyline the increase in impedance was reduced by 29% after ADP induction (p=0.046). CONCLUSION: Depressed patients have higher ex vivo platelet aggregation that may contribute to increased cardiovascular morbidity. After three months of antidepressant treatment with either escitalopram or nortriptyline, platelet aggregation was significantly reduced in antidepressant responders, irrespective of the antidepressant medication type.

A coding variant of the novel serotonin receptor subunit 5-HT3E influences sustained attention in schizophrenia patients.

Sustained attention as measured by the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) has proved a valuable endophenotype for schizophrenia. Recently pharmacological studies suggested a role of the serotonin (5-HT) 3 receptor in schizophrenia. The 5-HT3 receptors are the only ligand-gated ion channels within the 5-HT receptor family. Applying an endophenotype approach, we investigated a potential impact of the genes of the 5-HT3A and 5-HT3B subunits as well as the novel 5-HT3C, 5-HT3D, and 5-HT3E subunits on CPT performance in subjects with schizophrenia. The study included 196 patients with schizophrenia, 113 of their parents, and 205 healthy controls recruited from community registers. Sustained attention was assessed with the Continuous Performance Test-Identical Pairs (CPT-IP). Assessing functional and coding variants of the 5-HT3 receptor subunit genes, we found the GG genotype of the 5-HT3E subunit gene (rs7627615; Thr86Ala) to be associated with better attentional capacities in subjects with schizophrenia and healthy controls. This study provides additional evidence for a role of the serotonergic system and the 5-HT3 receptor in schizophrenia.

No association of the Val66Met polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor with hippocampal volume in major depression.

Recently, an association of the Val66Met polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor with hippocampal volume in patients with major depression has been reported. Here, we aimed at replicating this finding in an independent German sample. We included 79 patients with unipolar major depressive episodes and 84 healthy comparison participants. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met polymorphism was determined in all participants. The volume of the hippocampus was manually traced on high-resolution magnetic resonance images. The hippocampal volumes of patients were significantly smaller than those of the comparison participants, confirming previous reports. There was, however, no Val66Met effect on hippocampal volume in either group. To conclude, we did not replicate the Val66Met effect on hippocampal volume in neither patients with major depression nor in healthy participants.