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Platelet Monoamine Oxidase in Schizophrenia and Manic-Depressive Illness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Robert H. Belmaker ,
Kirsten Ebbesen ,
Richard Ebstein  and
Ranan Rimon
Robert H. Belmaker*
Affiliation:
The Department of Research, Jerusalem Mental Health Centre—Ezrat Nashim, POB 140, Jerusalem, Israel
Kirsten Ebbesen
Affiliation:
The Department of Research, Jerusalem Mental Health Centre—Ezrat Nashim, POB 140, Jerusalem, Israel
Richard Ebstein
Affiliation:
The Department of Research, Jerusalem Mental Health Centre—Ezrat Nashim, POB 140, Jerusalem, Israel
Ranan Rimon
Affiliation:
The Department of Research, Jerusalem Mental Health Centre—Ezrat Nashim, POB 140, Jerusalem, Israel
*
Requests for reprints should be addressed to Dr Belmaker.
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Summary

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is an important enzyme in the catabolism of brain biogenic amines. Platelet MAO has been reported to be moderately reduced in manic-depressive patients and markedly reduced in schizophrenic patients. This enzyme's activity has been shown to be under a large degree of genetic control and has been proposed as a ‘genetic marker’ in schizophrenia. A transcultural replication of the finding of low platelet MAO in schizophrenia and manic-depressive illness was carried out at the Jerusalem Mental Health Centre. Manic-depressive patients were found to have higher platelet MAO activity than schizophrenic patients, as reported previously, but control individuals were as low as the schizophrenic patients. It is unlikely that platelet MAO activity is a transculturally-valid marker for schizophrenia.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 129 , Issue 3 , September 1976 , pp. 227 - 232
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1976 

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