Coronavirus immunoreactivity in individuals with a recent onset of psychotic symptoms.

Prenatal influenza exposure increases the risk for schizophrenia and brings to question how other respiratory viruses may contribute to neuropsychiatric disease etiopathology. Human coronaviruses cause respiratory infections that range in seriousness from common colds to severe acute respiratory syndrome. Like influenza, coronaviruses can be neurotropic.

A double-blind trial of adjunctive allopurinol for schizophrenia.

Objective: To investigate if adjunctive allopurinol reduces symptoms in schizophrenia outpatients with persistent symptoms despite adequate pharmacotherapy.

Method: N=59 schizophrenia outpatients were randomly assigned to receive adjunctive allopurinol 300 mg bid or identical-looking placebo for 8 weeks after a 2-week placebo run-in. Symptoms were assessed biweekly.

Differentiating nicotine- versus schizophrenia-associated decreases of the alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor transcript, CHRFAM7A, in peripheral blood lymphocytes.

Nicotine addiction is prevalent in individuals with schizophrenia. Nicotine activation of nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) is time- and dose-dependent, but gene expression analyses often rely on qualitative self- or family-reported measures of smoking. We sought lymphocyte surrogates for cerebral alpha7-nAChR activity and tested if receptor transcription correlated with concurrently measured serum biomarkers for smoking [cotinine, C-reactive protein (CRP)].

Double blind trial of adjunctive valacyclovir in individuals with schizophrenia who are seropositive for cytomegalovirus.

Objective: To investigate if adjunctive valacyclovir, an antiviral medication, reduces symptoms of persistent schizophrenia in individuals who are seropositive for cytomegalovirus (CMV).

Method: N=47 CMV seropositive schizophrenia outpatients were randomly assigned to receive valacyclovir 1 g twice daily (n=24) or placebo (n=23) for 16 weeks after a 2-week placebo run-in. Symptoms were assessed biweekly.

Development of a nucleocapsid-based human coronavirus immunoassay and estimates of individuals exposed to coronavirus in a U.S. metropolitan population.

Coronaviruses cause respiratory infections ranging from common colds to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in humans. Estimates for exposure to non-SARS coronaviruses are high, particularly for 229E and OC43; however, less information regarding seroprevalence is available for HKU1 and NL63. To measure exposure rates to these four coronavirus strains (229E, HKU1, NL63, and OC43), we devised an immunoassay based on amino- and carboxy-terminally tagged recombinant coronavirus nucleocapsid antigens.

Predictors of occupational status six months after hospitalization in persons with a recent onset of psychosis.

Participation in work or school activity is an important aspect of social functioning in individuals with a recent onset of psychosis. We measured the predictors of occupational status 6 months following hospitalization in a sample of 71 adults with recent onset affective or non-affective psychosis. At baseline, participants were evaluated with cognitive measures including the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, symptom rating scales, the Modified Vocational Index to assess occupational status, and other clinical and demographic measures.

Polymorphisms in human endogenous retrovirus K-18 and risk of type 2 diabetes in individuals with schizophrenia.

Type 2 diabetes is a major health problem in individuals with schizophrenia. The genetic basis of diabetes risk in individuals with schizophrenia has not been previously defined. We measured polymorphisms in a human endogenous retrovirus, Herv K-18, which is located in the CD48 signaling lymphocyte activating (SLAM) gene on chromosome 1.

Association between cognitive functioning, exposure to Herpes Simplex Virus type 1, and the COMT Val158Met genetic polymorphism in adults without a psychiatric disorder.

Previous studies have documented that serologic evidence of infection with the neurotropic human herpesvirus Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1) is associated with increased levels of cognitive dysfunction in individuals with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. The catechol-o-methyl transferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism has also been associated with cognitive dysfunction in individuals with psychiatric disorders as well as in some control populations. We examined whether these factors are independently associated with cognitive functioning in adults without a history of a psychiatric disorder.

The association between cognitive functioning and occupational status in persons with a recent onset of psychosis.

The ability to engage in occupational activity is an important aspect of functioning in individuals with recent onset psychosis. We measured the determinants of occupational status in a sample of n = 86 adults with a recent onset of affective or nonaffective psychosis. Participants were evaluated with the Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Status, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, symptom rating scales, and other clinical and demographic measures.

The catechol O-methyltransferase Val158Met polymorphism is not associated with broad-based cognitive functioning in schizophrenia.

Background: A valine/methionine polymorphism of the catechol O-methyltransferase gene at the nucleotide which encodes amino acid val or met at position 158 in the protein (COMT Val158Met polymorphism) has been associated with deficits in executive functioning in schizophrenia in some studies. The association between the COMT polymorphism and other cognitive domains has been the focus of only limited investigation.

Methods: We measured COMT Val158Met genotypes in N=364 individuals with schizophrenia.