Metabolic Disturbances Independent of Body Mass in Patients with Schizophrenia Taking Atypical Antipsychotics

ObjectiveAtypical antipsychotic (AAP) treatment is associated with weight gain and metabolic disturbances such as dyslipidemia and dysglycemia. The metabolic disturbances are usually considered to develop secondary to weight gain. We performed the comparison of metabolic disturbances of three AAP group with different risk of metabolic side effect after adjusting for body mass to investigate whether any metabolic disturbances develop independently from body mass index (BMI).MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 174 subjects with schizophrenia who were on 1) monotherapy with clozapine (CL), olanzapine (OL), or quetiapine (QT) (n=61), 2) monotherapy with risperidone (RSP) (n=89), or 3) monotherapy with aripiprizole (ARP), or ziprasidone (ZPS) (n=24) more than 1 year. Association between the prevalence of metabolic disturbances and groups were analysed using logistic regression after adjusting confounding variables including BMI. Analysese of covariance were used to compare the AAP groups in terms of the levels of metabolic parameters.ResultsThere were significant differences among groups in terms of the prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia (p=0.015), low HDL-cholesterol (p=0.017), and hyperglycemia (p=0.022) after adjusting for BMI. Triglyceride level (p=0.014) and the ratio of triglyceride to HDL-cholesterol (p=0.004) were significantly different among groups after adjusting for BMI.ConclusionIn conclusion, metabolic disturbances are significantly different in AAP groups even after adjusting BMI. AAPs may have direct effect on metabolic parameters. Blood lipid and glucose levels should be monitored regularly regardless of whether patients tend to gain weight.     

Serotonin receptor HTR1A and HTR2C variants and personality traits in suicide attempters and controls

Introduction

Serotonin has been extensively studied in relation to both personality features and suicidal behaviours.

Objective

In this study, we considered the association between the serotonin receptor 1A (HTR1A) and 2C (HTR2C) SNPs and personality traits, as measured by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), in a sample of suicide patients and healthy volunteers.

Methods

The SNPs considered were, for HTR1A rs1423691, rs878567 and rs6295, and for HTR2C rs547536, rs2192372, rs6318, rs2428707, rs4272555 and rs1801412. The sample was composed of three groups: two German samples, consisting of a healthy control group of 289 subjects (42.6% males, mean age: 45.2 ± 14.9) and a psychiatric patient group of 111 suicide attempters (38.7% males, mean age: 39.2 ± 13.6), and an Italian sample, composed of 64 mood disorder patients (35.9% males, mean age: 43.0 ± 14.8). In the German samples all the SNPs were investigated, while in the Italian sample only the HTR1A rs6295 and the HTR2C rs6318 SNPs were considered.

Results

Controlling for sex, age and educational level, single markers and haplotypes were not or only marginally associated with personality dimensions.

Conclusions

Our study does not support the role of HTR1A and HTR2C gene variants on personality traits in both healthy volunteers and mood disorder patients.     

MEIS1, a Promising Candidate Gene,Is Not Associated with the Core Symptoms of Antipsychotic-Induced Restless Legs Syndrome in Korean Schizophrenia Patients

ObjectiveRestless legs syndrome (RLS) is a distressing sleep disorder to which individuals appear to be genetically predisposed. In the present study, we assumed that antipsychotic-induced RLS symptoms were attributable to differences in individual genetic susceptibility, and investigated whether MEIS1, a promising candidate gene, was associated with antipsychotic-induced RLS symptoms in schizophrenia patients.MethodsAll subjects were diagnosed with schizophrenia by board-certified psychiatrists using the Korean version of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. We assessed antipsychotic-induced RLS symptoms in 190 Korean schizophrenic patients using the diagnostic criteria of the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group. Genotyping was performed for the rs2300478 and rs6710341 polymorphisms of the MEIS1 gene.ResultsWe divided subjects into RLS symptom (n=96) and non-symptom (n=94) groups. There was no significant between-group difference in the genotype or allele frequencies of the two polymorphisms investigated, nor in the frequency of the rs2300478-rs6710341 haplotype.ConclusionOur data do not suggest that the rs2300478 and rs6710341 polymorphisms of the MEIS1 gene are associated with the core symptoms of antipsychotic-induced RLS in schizophrenia; different genetic mechanisms may underlie antipsychotic-induced vs. primary RLS.     

HTR2C polymorphisms,olanzapine-induced weight gain and antipsychotic-induced metabolic syndrome in schizophrenia patients: A meta-analysis

Objective. To conduct meta-analyses of all published association studies on the HTR2C -759C/T (rs3813829) polymorphism and olanzapine-induced weight gain in schizophrenia patients and on the HTR2C -759C/T, -697G/C (rs518147) and rs1414334:C> G polymorphisms and olanzapine/clozapine/risperidone-induced metabolic syndrome in schizophrenia patients. Methods. Eligible studies were identified by searching PubMed and Web of Science databases. Meta-analyses were performed using Cochrane Review Manager (RevMan, version 5.2) to calculate the pooled odds ratio (OR) and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). Results. Our meta-analyses revealed both a significant positive association between the rs1414334 C allele and olanzapine/clozapine/risperidone-induced metabolic syndrome and a marginally significant positive association between the -697C allele and the induced metabolic syndrome in schizophrenia patients, but no significant association between the -759C/T polymorphism and the induced metabolic syndrome in schizophrenia patients. Our analysis further revealed a pronounced trend toward a significant negative association between the -759T allele and high olanzapine-induced weight gain and a trend toward a significant positive association between the -759C allele and high olanzapine-induced weight gain in Caucasian schizophrenia patients. Conclusions. Our results support that HTR2C polymorphisms play a role in antipsychotic-induced metabolic disturbance. More association studies are needed to further elucidate association of different HTR2C polymorphisms and antipsychotic-induced metabolic disturbance.     

No Evidence for an Association between Dopamine D2 Receptor Polymorphisms and Tardive Dyskinesia in Korean Schizophrenia Patients

Objective

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a long-term adverse effect of antipsychotic. Dopaminergic activity in the nigrostriatal system have been proposed to be involved in development of TD and dopamine D2 receptors (DRD2) has been regarded as a candidate gene for TD because the antipsychotics have potent antagonism DRD2. This study was aimed to find the relationship between DRD2 gene and antipsychotic-induced TD.

Methods

We evaluated whether 5 DRD2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (-141Cins>del/TaqID/NcoI/Ser311Cys/TaqIA) are associated with antipsychotic-induced TD in 263 Korean schizophrenia patients with (n=100) and without TD (n=163) who were matched for antipsychotic drug exposure and other relevant variables. Haplotype analyses were also performed.

Results

None of 5 polymorphisms were found to be significantly associated with TD and with TD severity as measured by Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale. Overall haplotype (-141Cins>del/TaqID/NcoI/Ser311Cys/TaqIA) frequency was also not significantly different between TD and non-TD groups, although one rare haplotype (I-D1-T-G-A1) showed significantly different frequency between TD and non-TD groups (2.7% vs. 8.5%, respectively, p=0.031).

Conclusion

The present study does not support that DRD2 gene may be involved in TD in the Korean population, although further studies are warranted.     

AKT1 Gene Polymorphisms and Obstetric Complications in the Patients with Schizophrenia

Objective

We performed a genetic association study with schizophrenic patients to investigate whether the V-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog 1 (AKT1) gene plays a role in obstetric complications.

Methods

One-hundred-eighty patients with schizophrenia (male, 113; female, 67) were included. All patients fulfilled DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia. Obstetric complications were measured by the Lewis scale. Prenatal and perinatal information was retrospectively collected from the patients'' mothers. We selected six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for the AKT1 gene: SNP1 (rs3803300), SNP2 (rs1130214), SNP3 (rs3730358), SNP4 (rs 1130233), SNP5 (rs2494732), and SNPA (rs2498804). The genotype data were analyzed for an association with the Lewis total score in terms of allele, genotype, and haplotype distribution.

Results

The mean total Lewis scores were 1.30±1.61 for males and 1.54±1.87 for females. Higher total score tended to be correlated with an earlier age of onset of schizophrenia in females. In the total sample, no SNP was associated with obstetric complications. However, the additional analyses for male and female subgroups found a significant association between SNPA and SNP4 and Lewis score in females (p=0.02 for SNPA, p=0.04 for SNP4). The SNP5-SNPA haplotype showed a positive association with obstetric complications (p=0.03) in the female patient group.

Conclusion

We found an association between SNPs in the AKT1 gene and total Lewis score measuring obstetric complications in female patients with schizophrenia. Because these findings did not survive a correction for multiple testing, the significance should be interpreted carefully and replication studies are required.     

五羟色胺2C受体基因多态性与抗精神病药急性期治疗精神分裂症疗效关系初探

目的 研究五羟色胺2C受体(5HTR2C)基因启动子区功能多态性与首次治疗的精神分裂症患者精神症状严重程度及抗精神病药物(APS)急性期治疗疗效相关性。方法 采用PCR-RFLP方法分析109例首次治疗精神分裂症患者(男53例,女56例)5HTR2C基因启动区-759C/T单核酸置换多态性;临床用阳性和阴性症状量表(PANSS)评定患者治疗前后精神症状,分析单体型(男性)或暴因型(女性)和其他临床指标与治疗前PANSS分值和治疗后PANSS减分率的相关性。结果5HTR2C基因-759C/T基因型在女性患者组的分布频率符合H-W定律(P>0.05);-759T单体型(男性)或携带-759T的基因型(女性)在治疗显效组和治疗未显著进步组分布频率无显著性差异;单体型或基因型亚组的临床指标均无显著性差异;-759C/T对首次治疗精神分裂症患者PANSS分值无显著影响,但对治疗10周后PANSS总减分率和阴性症状减分率有显著影响。结论 5HTR2C基因启动子区-759C/T单核酸置换多态性在APS急性期治疗疗效中,可能主要影响对阴性症状的控制。     

Distinguishable haplotype blocks in the HTR3A and HTR3B region in the Japanese reveal evidence of association of HTR3B with female major depression.

BACKGROUND: Genetic variations in the serotonin receptor 3A (HTR3A) and 3B (HTR3B) genes, positioned in tandem on chromosome 11q23.2, have been shown to be associated with psychiatric disorders in samples of European ancestry. But the polymorphisms highlighted in these reports map to different locations in the two genes, therefore it is unclear which gene exerts a stronger effect on susceptibility. METHODS: To determine the haplotype block structure in the genomic regions of HTR3A and HTR3B, and to examine whether genetic variations in the region show evidence of association with schizophrenia and affective disorder in the Japanese, we performed haplotype-based case-control analysis using 29 polymorphisms. RESULTS: Two haplotype blocks each were revealed for HTR3A and HTR3B in Japanese samples. In HTR3B, haplotype block 2 that included a nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), yielded evidence of association with major depression in females (global p = .0023). Analysis employing genome-wide SNPs using the STRUCTURE program did not detect population stratification in the samples. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest an important role for HTR3B in major depression in women and also raise the possibility that previously proposed disease-associated SNPs in the HTR3A/B region in Caucasians are in linkage disequilibrium with haplotype block 2 of HTR3B in the Japanese.     

The Effects of Genetic Polymorphisms of CYP2C9 and CYP2C 19 on Phenytoin Metabolism in Japanese Adult Patients with Epilepsy: Studies in Stereoselective Hydroxylation and Population Pharmacokinetics

Summary: Purpose : The aim of this study was to clarify the effects of genetic polymorphisms of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C9 and 2C19 on the metabolism of phenytoin (PHT). In addition, a population pharmacokinetic analysis was performed.
Methods: The genotype of CYP2C9 (Arg¹⁴⁴/Cys, Ile³⁵⁹/Leu) and CYP2C19 (*1, *2 or *3) in 134 Japanese adult patients with epilepsy treated with PHT were determined, and their serum concentrations of 5-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-5-phenylhydantoin (p-HPPH) enantiomers, being major metabolites of PHT, were measured. A population pharmacokinetic analysis (NONMEM analysis) was performed to evaluate whether genetic polymorphism of CYP2C9/19 affects the clinical use of PHT by using the 336 dose-serum concentration data.
Results: The mean maximal elimination rate (Vmax) was 42% lower in the heterozygote for Leu359 allele in CYP2C9, and the mean Michaelis-Menten constants (K,) in the heterozygous extensive metabolizers and the poor metabolizers of CYP2C19 were 22 and 54%, respectively, higher than those without the mutations in CYP2C9/19 genes. (R)- and (5')- p -HPPHPHT ratios were lower in patients with mutations in CYP2C9 or CYP2C19 gene than those in patients without mutations.
Conclusions: Although the hydroxylation capacity of PHT was impaired with mutations of CYP2C9/19, the impairment was greater for CYP2C9. In view of the clinical use of PHT, two important conclusions were derived from this population study. First, the serum PHT concentration in patients with the Leu359 allele in CYP2C9 would increase dramatically even at lower daily doses. Second, the patients with CYP2C19 mutations should be treated carefully at higher daily doses of PHT.     

Relationship between SSRIs and Metabolic Syndrome Abnormalities in Patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Prospective Study

Objective

SSRIs are some of the most widely prescribed medications in the world. In addition to their effectiveness, SSRIs were reported to be associated with the side effects of weight gain, sexual dysfunction, drug interactions, extrapyramidal symptoms and discontinuation symptoms. However, the effects of SSRIs on metabolic parameters are poorly understood.

Methods

This study aims to describe the effects of SSRIs on the metabolic parameters of drug-naive first episode patients with generalized anxiety disorder. Ninety-seven female patients aged 20-41 years without any metabolic or psychiatric comorbidity were included in the study. Fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, citalopram and escitalopram were randomly given to the patients. Metabolic parameters, including BMI, waist circumference and the levels of fasting glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL, LDL and blood pressure, were measured before and after 16 weeks of treatment.

Results

In the paroxetine group, there was a significant increase in the parameters of weight, BMI, waist circumference, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL and triglyceride after 16 weeks of treatment. There were significant increases in the levels of triglyceride in the citalopram and escitalopram groups. In the sertraline group, the total cholesterol level increased after treatment. In the fluoxetine group, there were significant reductions in the parameters of weight, total cholesterol and triglyceride.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this study is the first to prospectively describe metabolic syndrome abnormalities in patients with first episode generalized anxiety disorder. Although the effectiveness of the different SSRIs is similar, clinicians should be more careful when prescribing SSRIs to patients who have cardiac risk factors. Larger and lengthier controlled clinical trials are needed to explore the associations between SSRI use and metabolic syndrome.     

急性缺血性卒中患者颅内动脉粥样硬化性狭窄与不同血糖水平代谢综合征的相关性分析

目的 探讨急性缺血性卒中患者颅内动脉粥样硬化性狭窄与不同血糖水平代谢综合征的相关性。 方法 选取2013年6月-2016年6月入住本院神经内科的急性缺血性卒中患者352例为研究对象,根 据颅内血管狭窄情况分为狭窄组227例和非狭窄组125例;选取同期非颅内动脉粥样硬化性狭窄体检 者310例为对照组。研究对象中合并代谢综合征的患者分为3个亚组：糖耐量正常组、伴糖尿病组、伴 高血糖组（包括空腹血糖受损、糖耐量降低）。同时测定代谢综合征患者血脂水平,分析不同血糖 水平代谢综合征与颅内动脉粥样硬化性狭窄的相关性。 结果 352例急性缺血性卒中患者共确诊代谢综合征195例（55.39%）,其中狭窄组和非狭窄组代谢 综合征的发生率均明显高于对照组,比较差异有显著性（P <0.05）;狭窄组代谢综合征的发生率明显 高于非狭窄组,比较差异有显著性（P <0.05）。狭窄组中伴糖尿病的代谢综合征患者比例明显高于非 狭窄组和对照组,比较差异有显著性（P <0.05）;狭窄组中伴高血糖和糖耐量正常的代谢综合征患 者比例与非狭窄组比较,差异均无显著性（P＞0.05）。Logistic回归分析显示：代谢综合征与颅内动脉 粥样硬化性狭窄存在明显相关性;代谢综合征伴糖尿病、伴低高密度脂蛋白（high density lipoprotein, HDL）、高甘油三酯（triglyceride,TG）与颅内动脉粥样硬化性狭窄发生风险呈明显正相关。 结论 在急性缺血性卒中患者中,代谢综合征尤其是糖尿病、高TG血症及低HDL血症和颅内动脉粥 样硬化性狭窄密切相关。     

ABCC2 Polymorphisms and Haplotype are Associated with Drug Resistance in Chinese Epileptic Patients

Aims: Some study found that ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) efflux transporters play an important role in antiepileptic drug resistance, especially ABCB1 and ABCC2. The aims of this study were to evaluate the relationship between the genetic polymorphisms of ABCC2 and ABCB1 and the therapeutic efficacy of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in Chinese epileptic patients. Methods: ABCB1 rs1045642 (3435C>T) and ABCC2 rs717620 (?24C>T), rs3740066 (3972C>T), and rs2273697 (1249G>A) polymorphisms loci in 537 Chinese epilepsy patients (217 drug resistant patients and 320 drug responders) were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP). Results: ABCC2 rs717620 ?24TT genotype was significantly associated with drug resistant epilepsy (odds ratio [OR]= 4.06 [1.79–9.20], P= 0.001). The OR values of ABCC2 rs717620 ?24 CT+TT genotypes and ABCC2 rs3740066 (3972C>T) CT+TT genotypes were markedly higher in drug resistant patients (OR = 1.57 [1.08–2.29], P= 0.018; OR = 1.49 [1.02–2.18], P= 0.038, respectively) compared with responsive patients. ABCC2 rs2273697 (1249G>A) and ABCB1 rs1045642 (3435C>T) polymorphisms were not associated with drug resistant epilepsy. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) test showed that the ABCC2 rs717620 were in strong LD with rs2273697 (D’= 0.694) and rs3740066 (D’= 0.699). The frequencies of haplotypes TGT (ABCC2 ?24C>T/ABCC2 1249G>A/ABCC2 3972C>T) in resistant patients was significantly higher than those in responsive patients (21.0% vs. 14.2%, P < 0.05). Conclusion: ABCC2?24C>T, 3972C>T polymorphisms and one ABCC2 haplotype is associated with AED resistance; ABCC2 1249G>A and ABCB1 3435C>T polymorphisms are not associated with AED resistance in our study. These data suggest that ABCC2 polymorphisms and haplotype may affect the response of antiepileptic drugs.     

Tardive dyskinesia and DRD3, HTR2A and HTR2C gene polymorphisms in Russian psychiatric inpatients from Siberia

Background

Pharmacogenetics of tardive dyskinesia and dopamine D3 (DRD3), serotonin 2A (HTR2A), and 2C (HTR2C) receptors has been examined in various populations, but not in Russians.

Purpose

To investigate the association between orofaciolingual (TDof) and limb-truncal dyskinesias (TDlt) and Ser9Gly (DRD3), -1438G>A (HTR2A), and Cys23Ser (HTR2C) polymorphisms in Russian psychiatric inpatients from Tomsk, Siberia.

Methods

In total, 146 subjects were included. Standard protocols were applied for genotyping. TDof and TDlt were assessed with AIMS items 1–4 and 5–7, respectively. Two-part model, logistic and log-normal regression analyses were applied to assess different variables (e.g., allele-carriership status, age, gender, and medication use).

Results

TDlt, but not TDof, exhibited an association with Ser9Gly and Cys23Ser (with 9Gly and 23Ser alleles exhibiting opposite effects). However, -1438G>A was not associated with TDof and Dlt.

Conclusions

This is the first pharmacogenetic report on tardive dyskinesia in Russians. Subject to further replication, our findings extend and support the available data.     

Mutation screening and assessment of the effect of genetic variations on expression and RNA editing of serotonin receptor 2C in the human brain

Aim:  Serotonin receptor 2C ( HTR2C ) has been postulated as being involved in the etiology or pathophysiology of mental disorders such as bipolar disorder, major depression and schizophrenia. We previously revealed the altered mRNA expression and RNA editing of HTR2C in the postmortem brains of patients with mental disorders. Here we examined the relationship between genetic variations and expression level or RNA editing level of HTR2C in the human brain.
Methods:  We performed mutation screening of the HTR2C gene by sequencing all exons, exon–intron boundaries, and promoter region in the same cohort used for expression and RNA editing studies ( n  = 58). Using the detected genetic variations, we examined the relationship between genetic variations and expression or RNA editing level.
Results and conclusion:  We did not find novel mutations or single nucleotide polymorphisms that were specific to patients. Genotype and haplotype-based analyses revealed that genetic variations of HTR2C did not account for observed altered expression or RNA editing level of HTR2C in the brain.     

No Association between Serotonin Receptor 2C-759C/T Polymorphism and Weight Change or Treatment Response to Mirtazapine in Korean Depressive Patients

Objective

Activation of one or more serotonin (5-HT) receptors may play a role in mediating the antidepressant effects of serotonergic antidepressants. The serotonin 2C (5HT 2C) receptor is known to be associated with antidepressant action and weight gain. We sought to determine whether the 5-HTR 2C receptor -759C/T polymorphism was associated with weight gain and treatment response to mirtazapine in major depressive disorder (MDD) patients.

Methods

The 5-HT 2C receptor -759C/T polymorphism was analyzed in 323 MDD patients. All patients were evaluated using the 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale at the beginning of the study and at 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks of mirtazapine treatment.

Results

There was no significant difference in the 5-HT 2C receptor -759C/T genotype distribution between responder and non-responder groups. The 5-HT 2C receptor -759C/T polymorphism was not associated with weight change over time after mirtazapine administration.

Conclusion

The 5-HT 2C receptor -759C/T polymorphism does not appear to be a predictor of treatment response to mirtazapine. This polymorphism was not associated with weight change after 8 weeks of mirtazapine treatment. Further investigation on other polymorphisms of the 5-HT 2C gene is required to determine whether the 5-HT 2C gene influences treatment response and weight change after mirtazapine administration in patients with major depressive disorder.     

Identification of the infant-type R631C mutation in patients with the benign muscular form of CPT2 deficiency

Carnitine palmitoyltransferase 2 (CPT2) deficiency is the most common defect of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation; three different clinical phenotypes have been described but the adult form, involving exclusively the skeletal muscle, is the most frequent. We describe herein 3 families where 4 individuals manifested with the adult form of CPT2 deficiency. CPT2 gene molecular analysis identified the homozygous R631C mutation, so far only reported in severe infantile cases. Our data evidenced that R631C mutation is not exclusively detected in the infantile form but it may be present in a wider spectrum of CPT2 phenotypes. These findings indirectly suggest that other modulators may influence clinical severity of CPT2 deficiency.