Different apolipoprotein E, apolipoprotein A1 and prostaglandin-H2 D-isomerase levels in cerebrospinal fluid of schizophrenia patients and healthy controls

Abstract

Objectives. To identify proteins differentially expressed in schizophrenia patients, we collected 50 µl cerebrospinal fluid from 17 first-episode schizophrenia patients and 10 healthy controls. Methods. Their proteins were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis without using any depletion method and identified by mass spectrometry. Results. Approximately 550 spots were detected, six of which had significantly different intensities in schizophrenia compared to control specimens. We were able to validate in individual samples the upregulation of apolipoprotein E, apolipoprotein A1 and prostaglandin-H2 D-isomerase by Western blot analyses and detect the downregulation of transthyretin, TGF-β receptor type-1 and coiled-coil domain-containing protein 3 precursor. Conclusions. These findings may help to elucidate the disease mechanisms and confirm the hypothesis of disturbed cholesterol and phospholipid metabolism in schizophrenia, and thus reveal the final role players. Moreover, a grouped protein expression analysis of apolipoprotein E, apolipoprotein A-I, and prostaglandin-H2 D-isomerase in cerebrospinal fluid from patients might be a potential diagnostic tool for schizophrenia.

Key words::

• Schizophrenia
• CSF
• apolipoprotein E & A1
• prostaglandin-H2 D-isomerase
• proteomics

Acknowledgements

This work is dedicated to the memory of Professor Francesco Langone, from the State University of Campinas, Brazil. The authors thank Jacquie Klesing for English language editing of the manuscript.

Statement of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.