No differences in calcium-binding protein immunoreactivity in the posterior cingulate and visual cortex: Schizophrenia and controls

• Published in: Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry Vol. 30; no. 4; pp. 630 - 639
• Main Authors: Wheeler, David G., Dixon, Gavin, Harper, Clive G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.06.2006; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; BA 23; BA 30; Biological and medical sciences; Calbindin; Calbindins; Calcium-binding proteins; Case-Control Studies; Cell Count - methods; Female; Gyrus Cinguli - metabolism; Gyrus Cinguli - pathology; Humans; Immunohistochemistry - methods; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neuropharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Posterior cingulate cortex; Postmortem Changes; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychoses; S100 Calcium Binding Protein G - metabolism; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - metabolism; Schizophrenia - pathology; Visual cortex; Visual Cortex - metabolism; Visual Cortex - pathology; BA 23; Calbindin; Visual cortex; PV; Schizophrenia; ir; VCx; PFC; PCCx; CR; Posterior cingulate cortex; CBP; GABA; Calcium-binding proteins; BA 30; BA; Cb; Calcium; Central nervous system; Inorganic element; Encephalon; Psychosis; Binding protein; Visual pathway; Cingulate cortex
• ISSN: 0278-5846; 1878-4216
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2005.11.041

Schizophrenia-specific alterations in the densities of interneurons immunoreactive (ir) to the calcium binding proteins are reported for several cortical regions. However, no reported studies have searched for such differences within the posterior cingulate cortex using antibodies to a specific calcium binding protein, calbindin (Cb). Aims: Compare the (a) relative density of Cb-ir neurons (ratio of labeled neurons to total neurons), (b) relative width of cortical layers II/III and (c) somal areas of Cb-ir neurons in people with schizophrenia and non-psychiatric age-, gender- and postmortem index-matched controls (9 per group). Method: Tissue from Brodmann's area (BA) 30 and 23 and an internal control region, the visual cortex (BA 18) were labeled with polyclonal Cb antibodies then Nissl counter-stained. Cb-ir neurons as well as counter-stained neurons with clearly visible nucleoli were plotted and counted within their area1 and laminar boundaries. Results: No qualitative or statistical differences in the relative density of Cb-ir neurons were observed. A trend towards a significant effect was detected in BA 30, the relative density of Cb-ir neurons for controls was greater than for schizophrenics ( P = 0.0518). There were no significant differences in the relative cortical widths or somal areas. The data from this study suggest that the posterior cingulate cortex may not be involved in schizophrenia, at least not as far as Cb-ir neurons are concerned.