Differential changes in apolipoprotein E in schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder

Abstract

Background: This study extends an initial finding of increased levels of apoE in Brodmann's area (BA) 9 from subjects with schizophrenia to determine if apoE is altered in other brain regions and in brains from subjects with bipolar I disorder (BID). Methods: ApoE was quantified apoE in BA 9, 10, 40, 46 and caudate putamen from control (n = 18), schizophrenic (n = 19) and BID (n = 8) subjects using Western blotting. Results: In schizophrenia, there was increased apoE in BA9 (mean ± SEM: schizophrenia 3.8 ± .18 vs. control 3.2 ± .19) and BA46 (schizophrenia 2.7 ± .26 vs. control 1.6 ± .20). In BID, increased levels of the apolipoprotein were detected in the caudate putamen (BID 3.3 ± .44 vs. ..