INCREASED NEURAL CELL-ADHESION MOLECULE IN THE CSF OF PATIENTS WITH MOOD DISORDER

Neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) is involved in cell-cell interac tions during synaptogenesis, morphogenesis, and plasticity of the nerv ous system, Disturbances in synaptic restructuring and neural plastici ty may be related to the pathogenesis of several neuropsychiatric dise ases, including mood disorders and schizophrenia. Disturbances in brai n cellular function may alter concentrations of N-CAM in the CSF. Solu ble human N-CAM proteins are detectable in the CSF but are minor const ituents of serum. We have recently found an increase in N-CAM content in the CSF of patients with schizophrenia. Although the pathogenesis o f both schizophrenia and mood disorders is unknown, ventriculomegaly, decreased temporal lobe volume, and subcortical structural abnormaliti es have been reported for both disorders. We have therefore measured N -CAM concentrations in the CSF of patients with mood disorder. There w ere significant increases in amounts of N-CAM immunoreactive proteins, primarily the 120-kDa band, in the CSF of psychiatric inpatients with bipolar mood disorder type I and recurrent unipolar major depression. There were no differences in bipolar mood disorder type II patients a s compared with normals. There were no significant effects of medicati on treatment on N-CAM concentrations. It is possible that the 120-kDa N-CAM band present in the CSF is derived from CNS cells as a secreted soluble NCAM isoform. Our results suggest the possibility of latent st ate-related disturbances in N-CAM cellular function, i.e., residue fro m a previous episode, or abnormal N-CAM turnover in the CNS of patient s with mood disorder.