Stress, anxiety and peripheral benzodiazepine receptor mRNA levels in human lymphocytes

Peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) mRNA levels were measured in lymph ocytes obtained from a cohort of university students and clinically diagnos ed anxious patients. The average level of PER mRNA was decreased in anxious patients compared to a control group. This data confirms previously publis hed results, but it also indicates that PER mRNA levels cannot be used as a sole diagnostic measure of anxiety because the range of the individual PER mRNA levels of the anxious group overlapped the range of the PER mRNA leve ls of the control group, PER mRNA levels in students following academic exa minations were increased in some individuals and decreased in others. In th e same cohort of students individual levels of cortisol and prolactin were predominantly increased and decreased respectively. There was no correlatio n between the individual changes in the hormone levels or PER mRNA, which s uggests that each of these parameters is affected by different environmenta l and physiological factors. Lymphocyte PER mRNA measurement is a useful ad ditional methodology for studying human stress responses however, its use i n clinical studies would require the elucidation of PBR's physiological rol e. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.