Genetic Variation of RELN Expression in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder
Author Information
Author(s): Ovadia Galit, Shifman Sagiv
Primary Institution: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hypothesis
Reduced reelin levels may increase susceptibility to psychiatric disorders, and reelin is important to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.
Conclusion
The study found no significant reduction in total RELN expression in schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, but identified a significant reduction of the short RELN isoform in bipolar disorder and an imbalance in allelic expression in schizophrenia.
Supporting Evidence
- No significant reduction in total RELN expression was found in schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
- A significant reduction of the short RELN isoform was observed in bipolar disorder samples.
- Imbalance in allelic expression of RELN was noted in schizophrenia patients.
Takeaway
This study looked at a gene called RELN that is important for brain function. It found that people with bipolar disorder have less of a certain version of this gene, which might help explain their condition.
Methodology
The study used postmortem brain samples from individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and unaffected controls to measure RELN expression and its isoforms using real-time PCR and other molecular techniques.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the use of postmortem samples, which may not fully represent living populations.
Limitations
The study's findings on allelic expression imbalance are based on a relatively small sample size for that specific analysis.
Participant Demographics
The study included 35 individuals with schizophrenia, 32 individuals with bipolar disorder, and 35 unaffected controls.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p=0.010
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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