Reduced Monoamine Oxidase Activity in Platelets: A Possible Genetic Marker for Vulnerability to Schizophrenia
- 2 March 1973
- journal article
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 179 (4076) , 916-918
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.179.4076.916
Abstract
Monoamine oxidase activity in blood platelets was measured, with [14C]tryptamine as substrate, in 13 monozygotic twin pairs discordant for schizophrenia and in 23 normal volunteers. The monoamine oxidase activity of both schizophrenic and nonschizophrenic co-twins was significantly lower than it was for the normals, and it was highly correlated between twins. In addition, there was a significant inverse correlation between a measure of the degree of the schizophrenic disorder and the monoamine oxidase activity. These data suggest, but do not prove, that reduced platelet monoamine oxidase activity may provide a genetic marker for vulnerability to schizophrenia.Keywords
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