Peripheral benzodiazepine receptor messenger RNA is decreased in lymphocytes of generalized anxiety disorder patients

• Published in: Biological psychiatry (1969) Vol. 43; no. 10; pp. 767 - 773
• Main Authors: Rocca, Paola, Beoni, Anna Maria, Eva, Carola, Ferrero, Patrizia, Zanalda, Enrico, Ravizza, Luigi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 15.05.1998; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Anti-Anxiety Agents - therapeutic use; Anxiety Disorders - blood; Anxiety Disorders - drug therapy; Anxiety Disorders - genetics; Anxiety disorders. Neuroses; Benzodiazepines; Biological and medical sciences; Female; Follow-Up Studies; generalized anxiety disorder; Humans; Lymphocytes - metabolism; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Nordazepam - analogs & derivatives; Nordazepam - therapeutic use; Peripheral benzodiazepine receptor; peripheral benzodiazepine receptor messenger RNA; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Receptors, GABA-A - drug effects; Receptors, GABA-A - genetics; RNA, Messenger - blood; Peripheral benzodiazepine receptor; benzodiazepines; generalized anxiety disorder; peripheral benzodiazepine receptor messenger RNA; Human; Messenger RNA; Generalized anxiety disorder; Anxiety disorder; Biological marker; Lymphocyte
• ISSN: 0006-3223; 1873-2402
• DOI: 10.1016/S0006-3223(97)00279-5

Background: The aim of this study was to assess whether the decrease of peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (pBR) number in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), previously observed in patients with generalized anxiety disorder, is paralleled by changes in the relative content of messenger RNA (mRNA) encoding pBR. Methods: Eight patients with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder were examined before, during, and after 2′-chloro-N-desmethyl-diazepam treatment. Eight healthy subjects were analyzed in parallel. The relative content of pBR mRNA was determined by reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, using β-actin as internal standard. Kinetic binding properties of pBR were measured using 3H-PK11195 as a ligand. Results: pBR and pBR mRNA were significantly decreased in untreated generalized anxiety disorder patients as compared to controls (by 45% and 70%, respectively). Both pBR density and mRNA levels returned to control values during treatment or after withdrawal, which also coincided with recovery from anxiety. Conclusions: These results suggest that the turnover rate of pBR is reduced in PBMC of generalized anxiety disorder patients, and that this change occurs at the transcriptional level.