TY - JOUR
T1 - Human endogenous retroviruses and ADHD
AU - Balestrieri, Emanuela
AU - Pitzianti, Mariabernarda
AU - Matteucci, Claudia
AU - D'Agati, Elisa
AU - Sorrentino, Roberta
AU - Baratta, Antonia
AU - Caterina, Rosa
AU - Zenobi, Rossella
AU - Curatolo, Paolo
AU - Garaci, Enrico
AU - Sinibaldi-Vallebona, Paola
AU - Pasini, Augusto
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Objectives. Several lines of evidences suggest that human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are implicated in the development of many complex diseases with a multifactorial aetiology and a strong heritability, such as neurological and psychiatric diseases. Attention deficit hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that results from a complex interaction of environmental, biological and genetic factors. Our aim was to analyse the expression levels of three HERV families (HERV-H, K and W) in patients with ADHD. Methods. The expression of retroviral mRNAs from the three HERV families was evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 30 patients with ADHD and 30 healthy controls by quantitative RT-PCR. Results. The expression levels of HERV-H are significantly higher in patients with ADHD compared to healthy controls, while there are no differences in the expression levels of HERV-K and W. Conclusions. Since the ADHD aetiology is due to a complex interaction of environmental, biological and genetic factors, HERVs may represent one link among these factors and clinical phenotype of ADHD. A future confirmation of HERV-H overexpression in a larger number of ADHD patients will make possible to identify it as a new parameter for this clinical condition, also contributing to deepen the study on the role of HERVs in the neurodevelopment diseases.
AB - Objectives. Several lines of evidences suggest that human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are implicated in the development of many complex diseases with a multifactorial aetiology and a strong heritability, such as neurological and psychiatric diseases. Attention deficit hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that results from a complex interaction of environmental, biological and genetic factors. Our aim was to analyse the expression levels of three HERV families (HERV-H, K and W) in patients with ADHD. Methods. The expression of retroviral mRNAs from the three HERV families was evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 30 patients with ADHD and 30 healthy controls by quantitative RT-PCR. Results. The expression levels of HERV-H are significantly higher in patients with ADHD compared to healthy controls, while there are no differences in the expression levels of HERV-K and W. Conclusions. Since the ADHD aetiology is due to a complex interaction of environmental, biological and genetic factors, HERVs may represent one link among these factors and clinical phenotype of ADHD. A future confirmation of HERV-H overexpression in a larger number of ADHD patients will make possible to identify it as a new parameter for this clinical condition, also contributing to deepen the study on the role of HERVs in the neurodevelopment diseases.
KW - ADHD
KW - HERV-H
KW - Human endogenous retrovirus
KW - Neurodevelopmental diseases
KW - Peripheral blood mononuclear cells
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U2 - 10.3109/15622975.2013.862345
DO - 10.3109/15622975.2013.862345
M3 - Article
C2 - 24286278
AN - SCOPUS:84905826854
VL - 15
SP - 499
EP - 504
JO - World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
JF - World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
SN - 1562-2975
IS - 6
ER -