Low loss optical waveguides fabricated in LiTaO3 by swift heavy ion irradiation.

Optical waveguides are fabricated by irradiation of LiTaO3 with a variety of swift heavy ions that provide increasing levels of both nuclear and electronic damage rates, including C, F and Si ions, in the energy range of 15-40 MeV. A systematic study of the role of the ion fluence has been carried out in the broad range of 1e13-2e15 at/cm2. The kinetics of damage is initially of nuclear origin for the lowest fluences and stopping powers and, then, is enhanced by the electronic excitation (for F and Si ions) in synergy with the nuclear damage. Applying suitable annealing treatments, optical propagation losses values as low as 0.1 dB have been achieved. The damage rates found in LiTaO3 have been compared with those known for the reference LiNbO3 and discussed in the context of the thermal spike model.

ErbB4 signaling in dopaminergic axonal projections increases extracellular dopamine levels and regulates spatial/working memory behaviors.

Genetic variants of Neuregulin 1 (NRG1) and its neuronal tyrosine kinase receptor ErbB4 are associated with risk for schizophrenia, a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by excitatory/inhibitory imbalance and dopamine (DA) dysfunction. To date, most ErbB4 studies have focused on GABAergic interneurons in the hippocampus and neocortex, particularly fast-spiking parvalbumin-positive (PV+) basket cells. However, NRG has also been shown to modulate DA levels, suggesting a role for ErbB4 signaling in dopaminergic neuron function. Here we report that ErbB4 in midbrain DAergic axonal projections regulates extracellular DA levels and relevant behaviors. Mice lacking ErbB4 in tyrosine hydroxylase-positive (TH+) neurons, but not in PV+ GABAergic interneurons, exhibit different regional imbalances of basal DA levels and fail to increase DA in response to local NRG1 infusion into the dorsal hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex and dorsal striatum measured by reverse microdialysis. Using Lund Human Mesencephalic (LUHMES) cells, we show that NRG/ErbB signaling increases extracellular DA levels, at least in part, by reducing DA transporter (DAT)-dependent uptake. Interestingly, TH-Cre;ErbB4f/f mice manifest deficits in learning, spatial and working memory-related behaviors, but not in numerous other behaviors altered in PV-Cre;ErbB4f/f mice. Importantly, microinjection of a Cre-inducible ErbB4 virus (AAV-ErbB4.DIO) into the mesencephalon of TH-Cre;ErbB4f/f mice, which selectively restores ErbB4 expression in DAergic neurons, rescues DA dysfunction and ameliorates behavioral deficits. Our results indicate that direct NRG/ErbB4 signaling in DAergic axonal projections modulates DA homeostasis, and that NRG/ErbB4 signaling in both GABAergic interneurons and DA neurons contribute to the modulation of behaviors relevant to psychiatric disorders.

Non-Invasive Forehead Segmentation in Thermographic Imaging.

The temperature of the forehead is known to be highly correlated with the internal body temperature. This area is widely used in thermal comfort systems, lie-detection systems, etc. However, there is a lack of tools to achieve the segmentation of the forehead using thermographic images and non-intrusive methods. In fact, this is usually segmented manually. This work proposes a simple and novel method to segment the forehead region and to extract the average temperature from this area solving this lack of non-user interaction tools. Our method is invariant to the position of the face, and other different morphologies even with the presence of external objects. The results provide an accuracy of 90% compared to the manual segmentation using the coefficient of Jaccard as a metric of similitude. Moreover, due to the simplicity of the proposed method, it can work with real-time constraints at 83 frames per second in embedded systems with low computational resources. Finally, a new dataset of thermal face images is presented, which includes some features which are difficult to find in other sets, such as glasses, beards, moustaches, breathing masks, and different neck rotations and flexions.

Gßγ subunit activation promotes dopamine efflux through the dopamine transporter.

The dopamine transporter (DAT) is an important regulator of brain dopamine (DA) homeostasis, controlling the intensity and duration of DA signaling. DAT is the target for psychostimulants-like cocaine and amphetamine-and plays an important role in neuropsychiatric disorders, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and drug addiction. Thus, a thorough understanding of the mechanisms that regulate DAT function is necessary for the development of clinical interventions to treat DA-related brain disorders. Previous studies have revealed a plethora of protein-protein interactions influencing DAT cellular localization and activity, suggesting that the fine-tuning of DA homeostasis involves multiple mechanisms. We recently reported that G-protein beta-gamma (Gßγ) subunits bind directly to DAT and decrease DA clearance. Here we show that Gßγ induces the release of DA through DAT. Specifically, a Gßγ-binding/activating peptide, mSIRK, increases DA efflux through DAT in heterologous cells and primary dopaminergic neurons in culture. Addition of the Gßγ inhibitor gallein or DAT inhibitors prevents this effect. Residues 582 to 596 in the DAT carboxy terminus were identified as the primary binding site of Gßγ. A TAT peptide containing the Gßγ-interacting domain of DAT blocked the ability of mSIRK to induce DA efflux, consistent with a direct interaction of Gßγ with the transporter. Finally, activation of a G-protein-coupled receptor, the muscarinic M5R, results in DAT-mediated DA efflux through a Gßγ-dependent mechanism. Collectively, our data show that Gßγ interacts with DAT to promote DA efflux. This novel mechanism may have important implications in the regulation of brain DA homeostasis.

Vaginal progesterone as maintenance treatment after an episode of preterm labour (PROMISE) study: a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether maintenance treatment with vaginal progesterone after an arrested preterm labour reduces the incidence of preterm delivery. DESIGN: Multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. SETTING: Twelve tertiary care centres in Spain. POPULATION: A total of 265 women with singleton pregnancy, preterm labour successfully arrested with tocolytic treatment, and cervical length of <25 mm. METHODS: Randomisation was stratified by gestational age (from 24.0 to <31.0 weeks of gestation and from 31.0 to <34.0 weeks of gestation) and centre. Patients were randomly assigned, in a 1 : 1 ratio, to either daily vaginal capsules of 200 mg progesterone or placebo until delivery or 36.6 weeks of gestation, whichever occurred first. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome was delivery before 34.0 and 37.0 weeks of gestation. Secondary outcomes were discharge-to-delivery time, readmissions because of preterm labour, emergency service use, and neonatal morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: From June 2008 through June 2012, 1419 women were screened: 472 met the inclusion criteria and 265 were randomised. The final analysis included 258 women: 126 in the progesterone group and 132 in the placebo group. There were no significant differences between the progesterone and placebo groups in terms of delivery at <34 weeks of gestation [9/126 (7.1%) versus 10/132 (7.6%), P = 0.91] or <37 weeks of gestation [36/126 (28.6%) versus 29/132 (22.0%), P = 0.22]. There were no differences observed between groups when considering the two strata of gestational age at inclusion. CONCLUSIONS: A maintenance treatment of 200 mg of daily vaginal progesterone capsules in women discharged home after an episode of arrested preterm labour did not significantly reduce the rate of preterm delivery. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Maintenance progesterone in 258 women after arrested PTL showed no benefit.

Reflection of diffuse light from dielectric one-dimensional rough surfaces.

We study the reflection of diffuse light from 1D randomly rough dielectric interfaces. Results for the reflectance under diffuse illumination are obtained by rigorous numerical simulations and then contrasted with those obtained for flat surfaces. We also explore the possibility of using perturbation theories and conclude that they are limited for this type of study. Numerical techniques based on Kirchhoff approximation and reduced Rayleigh equations yield better results. We find that, depending on the refractive index contrast and nature of the irregularities, the roughness can increase or decrease the diffuse reflectance of the surface.

Particle trapping and structuring on the surface of LiNbO3:Fe optical waveguides using photovoltaic fields.

We report on the successful trapping and patterning of micro- and nanometric particles on the surface of LiNbO3 optical waveguides via photovoltaic tweezers. A waveguide configuration is used for the first time combined with this recently proposed technique. The electric field pattern is generated by light propagating in the waveguide, allowing us to separate the light channel with the region in which particles are deposited. Results on micro- and nanoparticle trapping, by two different deposition methods on two types of planar waveguides (by soft proton exchanged and by swift heavy ion irradiation), and using single-beam and two-beam interferometric configuration, are presented and discussed.

Immune response and survival of refractory cancer patients who received TGF-ß2 antisense/GM-CSF gene modified autologous tumor cell (TAG) vaccine.

TAG vaccine is a novel 'triad vaccine' that involves transfection of autologous tumor with a dual plasmid, TGFß2 antisense gene and GM-CSF gene. Patients with advanced cancer who failed standard therapy were treated. IFN-γ ELISPOT analysis (Enzyme-Linked Immunospot Assay for Interferon Gamma) using TAG autologous vaccine target cells was performed prior to vaccination and at week 12 after the third vaccination. The purpose of this assessment was to correlate the IFN-γ ELISPOT immune response with long-term survival of advanced cancer patients who received TAG vaccination. Twenty-three of 28 patients received ≥ 3 TAG vaccinations (two patients withdrew consent and three had disease progression prior to the third vaccination). Eleven patients demonstrated a positive ELISPOT response (>10 spots and ≥ 2 × baseline) at week 12 and 12 patients did not (P=0.002). Median survival from time of treatment between ELISPOT-positive and -negative groups was significantly different (550 vs 159 days, P=0.036), as was median survival from the time of procurement (627 vs 257 days, respectively, P=0.043). In conclusion, the IFN-γ ELISPOT assay may provide an effective measure of immune response following treatment with 'triad vaccines', but additional patient numbers and/or other immune modulatory parameters are necessary for future testing.

Insights into the dependent-scattering contributions to the extinction coefficient in highly scattering suspensions.

We study theoretically the extinction of collimated light in random systems of highly scattering particles embedded in nonabsorbing media. We aim to provide rough guidelines on the behavior of the extinction coefficient in the so-called dependent-scattering regime. We base our analysis on Keller's second order perturbative approximation to the effective propagation constant. To gain physical insight, we also analyze a simple model based on the physical notion that particles in a dense system scatter light in an effective medium.

Analysis of spurious peaks at series resonance in solidly mounted resonators by combined BVD-Mason modelling.

Solidly Mounted Resonators (SMRs) for high frequency RF filters and sensing applications often display spurious resonances that distort their frequency response. In this work, we try to identify the origin of spurious resonances accompanying the main series resonances in AlN-based SMRs with the help of modified Butterworth Van Dyke (BVD) and Mason's models. By manufacturing SMRs of different sizes and shapes and studying the influence of the position of the electrical probing spot, we have demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally that devices with larger areas are more likely to display these additional peaks. Our updated models accurately simulate the frequency response of the SMRs, revealing that spurious peaks are mostly related to the resistance of the electrodes. Our study clarifies the origin of the spurious resonances and offers solutions for both, the optimal design and measurement method of SMRs.

Oxidative stress in the ovaries of mice chronically exposed to a low lead concentration: A generational approach.

Lead (Pb) is a heavy metal that alters the oxidation-reduction balance, affecting reproductive health and transfer during pregnancy and lactation. However, the multigenerational impact of exposure to low concentrations of Pb on mammalian ovaries has not been assessed. This study evaluated general parameters, histology, redox state (RS), protein carbonylation (PC), lipid peroxidation (LP), and hormone concentrations in the ovaries of mice (CD1® ICR) of three successive generations with both unigenerational (E1) and multigenerational (E2) exposure to 0.2 ppm lead acetate through the drinking water and a control group. Body weight, food consumption, the number of born pups, and their weight after weaning were not significantly affected by Pb exposure in E1 and E2. However, the ovaries of three successive generations of the E1 group, in which only the F0 was exposed, showed alterations in the ovarian histoarchitecture, increase in follicular atresia, decrease in the number of available follicles, and a significant RS and PC elevation that were surprisingly similar to those observed in the E2 group. LP increased in the second generation of E1 and E2, while hormone concentration was not altered. This is the first demonstration that exposure to low concentration of Pb induces multigenerational histological alterations and oxidative stress in mouse ovaries, that the termination of this exposure does not ensure the safety of later generations and that the lack of modifications in general parameters may facilitate the silent development of pathologies that affect ovarian health.

Nicotinamide, an acetylcholinesterase uncompetitive inhibitor, protects the blood‒brain barrier and improves cognitive function in rats fed a hypercaloric diet.

Oxidative stress and inflammation induced by abundant consumption of high-energy foods and caloric overload are implicated in the dysfunction of the blood‒brain barrier (BBB), cognitive impairment, and overactivation of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). These enzymes hydrolyse acetylcholine, affecting anti-inflammatory cholinergic signalling. Our aim was to evaluate whether nicotinamide (NAM) attenuates the impairment of the BBB and cognitive function, improving cholinergic signalling. Forty male rats were distributed into five groups: one group was fed a standard diet, and the remaining groups were fed a high-fat diet and a beverage with 40% sucrose (HFS; high-fat sucrose). In three of the HFS groups, the carbohydrate was replaced by drinking water containing different concentrations of NAM for 5 h every morning for 12 weeks. The biochemical profile, levels of stress and inflammation markers, cholinesterase activities, BBB permeability, and cognitive capacity were evaluated. The results showed that the HFS diet disturbed the metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids, causing insulin resistance. Simultaneously, AChE and BChE activities, levels of proinflammatory cytokines, oxidation of proteins and lipoperoxidation increased along with decreased antioxidant capacity in serum. In the hippocampus, increased activity of cholinesterases, protein carbonylation and lipoperoxidation were associated with decreased antioxidant capacity. Systemic and hippocampal changes were reflected in increased BBB permeability and cognitive impairment. In contrast, NAM attenuated the above changes by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation through decreasing cholinesterase activities, especially by uncompetitive inhibition. NAM may be a potential systemic and neuroprotective agent to mitigate cognitive damage due to hypercaloric diets.

Comparing the genetic structure of codling moth Cydia pomonella (L.) from Greece and France: long distance gene-flow in a sedentary pest species.

Codling moth Cydia pomonella L. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is the most important insect pest of apple production in Europe. Despite the economic importance of this pest, there is not information about the genetic structure of its population in Greece and the patterns of gene-flow which might affect the success of control programs. In this study, we analysed nine samples from apple, pear and walnut from various regions of mainland Greece using 11 microsatellite loci. Six samples from the aforementioned hosts from southern France were also examined for comparison. Bayesian clustering and genetic distance analyses separated the codling moth samples in two genetic clusters. The first cluster consisted mainly of the individuals from Greece, and the second of those from France, although admixture and miss-classified individuals were also observed. The low genetic differentiation among samples within each country was also revealed by F(ST) statistics (0.009 among Greek samples and 0.0150 among French samples compared to 0.050 global value among all samples and 0.032 the mean of the pair-wise values between the two countries). These F(ST) values suggest little structuring at large geographical scales in agreement with previous published studies. The host species and local factors (climatic conditions, topography, pest control programs) did not affect the genetic structure of codling moth populations within each country. The results are discussed in relation to human-made activities that promote gene-flow even at large geographic distances. Possible factors for the genetic differentiation between the two genetic clusters are also discussed.

Impulsiveness in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder after an 8-week intervention with the Mediterranean diet and/or omega-3 fatty acids: a randomised clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) is a self-administered instrument designed to assess the personality/behavioural construct of impulsiveness. Impulsiveness has been associated with several psychiatric disorders, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study assesses the progression of impulsive behaviour in children with ADHD after an 8-week dietary intervention with the Mediterranean diet and/or omega-3 fatty acid supplementation, by using a version of the 11-item BIS adapted for children (BIS-11c). METHODS: This cross-sectional study includes 60 children with ADHD from the region of Madrid, Spain. Participants were divided into 4 groups, with one control group and 3 intervention groups (Mediterranean diet; omega-3 supplementation; and Mediterranean diet plus omega-3 supplementation). A personalised Mediterranean diet was designed for members of groups 2 and 4. The BIS-11c was administered to determine the level of impulsiveness, and the KIDMED test was used to assess adherence to the Mediterranean diet. RESULTS: The supplementation group showed a fairly significant decrease in the total BIS-11c (P = .049). Total cognitive score slightly decreased in the diet and supplementation groups. Only the control group showed a considerable decrease in the total motor score. Total nonplanning scores were lower in all groups after the intervention. Baseline and final BIS-11c scores were positively correlated with treatments (r > 0.9). CONCLUSION: An intake of 550 mg EPA fatty acid and 225 mg DHA fatty acid per day for 8 weeks is associated with less marked impulsive behaviour in children with ADHD. A Mediterranean diet may improve BIS scores, although our results are not conclusive in this population.

Beneficial effects of synthetic KL4 surfactant in experimental lung transplantation.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether intratracheal administration of a new synthetic surfactant that includes the cationic, hydrophobic 21-residue peptide KLLLLKLLLLKLLLLKLLLLK (KL4), might be effective in reducing ischaemia-reperfusion injury after lung transplantation. Single left lung transplantation was performed in Landrace pigs 22 h post-harvest. KL4 surfactant at a dose of 25 mg total phospholipid·kg body weight⁻¹ (2.5 mL·kg body weight⁻¹) was instilled at 37°C to the donor left lung (n = 8) prior to explantation. Saline (2.5 mL·kg body weight⁻¹; 37°C) was instilled into the donor left lung of the untreated group (n = 6). Lung function in recipients was measured during 2 h of reperfusion. Recipient left lung bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) provided native cytometric, inflammatory marker and surfactant data. KL(4) surfactant treatment recovered oxygen levels in the recipient blood (mean ± sd arterial oxygen tension/inspiratory oxygen fraction 424 ± 60 versus 263 ± 101 mmHg in untreated group; p=0.01) and normalised alveolar-arterial oxygen tension difference. Surfactant biophysical function was also recovered in KL4 surfactant-treated lungs. This was associated with decreased C-reactive protein levels in BAL, and recovery of surfactant protein A content, normalised protein/phospholipid ratios, and lower levels of both lipid peroxides and protein carbonyls in large surfactant aggregates. These findings suggest an important protective role for KL4 surfactant treatment in lung transplantation.

Genetic inferences about the population dynamics of codling moth females at a local scale.

Estimation of demographic parameters is important for understanding the functioning of natural populations and the underlying ecological and evolutionary processes that may impact their dynamics. Here, we used sibship assignment methods to shed light on the local dynamics of codling moth females in eight orchards in a 90-ha domain near Valence, France. Based on full-sib inference among 1,063 genotyped moths, we estimated (1) the effective number of females that had offspring, (2) their fertility and (3) the distribution of their oviposition sites within and among orchards. The average number of females in all the orchards increased between the first (~130) and the second (~235) annual generations. The average fertilities of the females were similar at each generation according to the host plant considered (apple, pear, or walnut), but differed between commercial (~10) and non-treated (~25) apple orchards. Females mainly clustered their eggs on contiguous trees along orchard borders, but they also occasionally dispersed their eggs among different orchards independently of the cultivated host plants or the inter-orchard distances (up to 698 m) during the second annual generation. The mean distance between two oviposition sites was 30 m. Sibship estimates of both the effective number of females and the inter-orchard migration rates (~5%) were in agreement with the observed genetic differentiation among the eight orchards (0.006 < F ( st ) < 0.013). These results confirm and extend previous field and laboratory observations in Cydia pomonella, and they demonstrate that sibship assignments based on genetic data are an interesting alternative to mark-release-recapture methods for inferring insect population dynamics.

Asthma diagnosis is not associated with obesity in a population of adults from Madrid.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have suggested a relationship between asthma and obesity; however, this relationship is unclear when obesity is compared with bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine. AIM: To determine whether obesity is associated with a diagnosis of asthma. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study in a population of Spanish adults in the north of Madrid, Spain between 2003 and 2007. The patients included had experienced asthma symptoms during the previous year, but had a ratio of forced expiratory volume in the first second of expiration (FEV1) to forced vital capacity (FVC) of > 70%. Diagnosis was confirmed by the presence of symptoms and demonstration of bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine. Obesity was measured by body mass index (BMI). Adjusted odd ratios (OR) were obtained by logistic regression. RESULTS: Of a total of 1424 patients included, 251 (17.6%) were diagnosed with asthma. These patients were younger (P < .001) and had lower BMI (P < .001) and lung function parameters (FEV1 and FEV1/FVC ratio) than individuals without asthma (P < .001). After adjusting the model for age, gender, baseline FEV1, and FEV1/FVC ratio, patients with overweight or obesity were not more frequently diagnosed with asthma than those with normal weight (OR, 0.848 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.59-1.20]; and OR, 0.616 [95% CI, 0.38-0.99], respectively). In addition, obese males were more frequently diagnosed with asthma than obese females (P < .041). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, obesity and overweight were not associated with a diagnosis of asthma based on the presence of consistent symptoms and demonstration of airway responsiveness to methacholine.

Tools for resistance monitoring in oriental fruit moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and first assessment in Brazilian populations.

In southern Brazilian apple (Malus spp.) orchards, predominantly organophosphates are used to control the oriental fruit moth, Cydia molesta (Busck) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), but control failures often occur. Therefore the susceptibility of three C. molesta Brazilian populations was investigated to five insecticides of different groups and modes of action, in comparison with a susceptible laboratory strain mass reared in southern France for >10 yr. At the same time, comparative biochemical and genetic analysis were performed, assessing the activities of the detoxification enzymatic systems and sequencing a gene of insecticide molecular target to find out markers associated with resistance. The three Brazilian populations were significantly resistant to chlorpyrifos ethyl compared with the reference strain. One of the field populations that had been frequently exposed to deltamethrin treatments showed significant decreasing susceptibility to this compound, whereas none of the three populations had loss of susceptibility to tebufenozide and thiacloprid compared with the reference strain. All three populations had slight but significant increases of glutathione transferase and carboxylesterases activities and significant decrease of specific acetylcholinesterase activities compared with the reference. Only the most resistant population to chlorpyriphos exhibited a significantly higher mixed function oxidase activity than the reference. The acetylcholinesterase of females was significantly less inhibited by carbaryl in the Brazilian populations than in the reference strain (1.7-2.5-fold), and this difference was not expressed in the male moth. However, no mutation in the MACE locus was detected. These biological and molecular characterizations of adaptive response to insecticides in C. molesta provide tools for early detection of insecticide resistance in field populations of this pest.

Important role of microglia in HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorders and the molecular pathways implicated in its pathogenesis.

The development of effective combined anti-retroviral therapy (cART) led to a significant reduction in the death rate associated with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. However, recent studies indicate that considerably more than 50% of all HIV-1 infected patients develop HIV-1-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). Microglia are the foremost cells infected by HIV-1 in the central nervous system (CNS), and so, are also likely to contribute to the neurotoxicity observed in HAND. The activation of microglia induces the release of pro-inflammatory markers and altered secretion of cytokines, chemokines, secondary messengers, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) which activate signalling pathways that initiate neuroinflammation. In turn, ROS and inflammation also play critical roles in HAND. However, more efforts are required to understand the physiology of microglia and the processes involved in their activation in order to better understand the how HIV-1-infected microglia are involved in the development of HAND. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge about the involvement of oxidative stress mechanisms and role of HIV-induced ROS in the development of HAND. We also examine the academic literature regarding crucial HIV-1 pathogenicity factors implicated in neurotoxicity and inflammation in order to identify molecular pathways that could serve as potential therapeutic targets for treatment of this disease. KEY MESSAGES Neuroinflammation and excitotoxicity mechanisms are crucial in the pathogenesis of HAND. CNS infiltration by HIV-1 and immune cells through the blood brain barrier is a key process involved in the pathogenicity of HAND. Factors including calcium dysregulation and autophagy are the main challenges involved in HAND.

The role of dopamine receptors in lymphocytes and their changes in schizophrenia.

Dopamine and its 5 receptors, which are grouped into two families (D1-like and D2-like), modulate functions at a systemic level in both the central nervous system and periphery. The central nervous system and the immune system are the main adaptive systems, which participate in a continuous and functional crosstalk to guarantee homeostasis. On binding to its 5 dopamine receptors, dopamine acts as a co-regulator of the immune system, contributing to the interaction of the central nervous system and inflammatory events and as a source of communication between the different immune cells. Dopaminergic perturbations in the central nervous system are observed in several neurological and psychiatric disorders. Schizophrenia is one of the most common mental disorders with a poorly understood pathoaetiology that includes genetic and environmental components that promote alterations in the dopaminergic system. Interestingly, abnormalities in dopamine receptors expression in lymphocytes of schizophrenia patients have been reported, often significantly correlating with the severity of the psychotic illness. Here, we review the current literature regarding the dopaminergic system in human lymphocytes and its alterations in schizophrenia.