Further studies on a male monozygotic triplet with schizophrenia: cytogenetical and neurobiological assessments in the patients and their parents

A Case Report of Schizophrenia With a Partially Empty Sella: Related or Incidental?

A 55-year-old male patient who had a history of schizophrenia for 20 years was admitted to the Department of Psychiatry, in a tertiary care center. The patient presented with an exacerbation of symptoms for three months, with no apparent cause, leading to the suspicion of an underlying organic cause. The patient was overweight, was newly diagnosed as a case of type 2 diabetes mellitus, and also had swelling over his left ear. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain and laboratory testing that were done while he was in the hospital revealed the existence of a partially empty sella. With the MRI findings, it can be said that the partially empty sella and the occurrence of schizophrenia can be related to each other. In the existing literature, a few studies indicate the correlation between the two, and future studies can help with identifying the association.

New gene targets related to schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders: enzymes, binding proteins and transport proteins involved in phospholipid and fatty acid metabolism

Phospholipids make up about 60% of the brain's dry weight. In spite of this, phospholipid metabolism has received relatively little attention from those seeking genetic factors involved in psychiatric and neurological disorders. However, there is now increasing evidence from many quarters that abnormal phospholipid and related fatty acid metabolism may contribute to illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. To date the possible specific proteins and genes involved have been relatively ill-defined. This paper reviews the main pathways of phospholipid metabolism, emphasizing the roles of phospholipases of the A2 and C series in signal transduction processes. It identifies some likely protein candidates for involvement in psychiatric and neurological disorders. It also reviews the chromosomal locations of regions likely to be involved in these disorders, and relates these to the known locations of genes directly or indirectly involved in phospholipid and fatty acid metabolism.