Expression of a gene responsible for inactivation of one of the two copies of the X chromosome in women may serve as a biological marker for diagnosing serious mental health conditions, according to a study published online June 16 in EBioMedicine. Over-expression of XIST, the master gene for X chromosome inactivation, and the related X-linked KDM5C gene may improve diagnosis of bipolar disorder or recurrent major depression in females. “Our results indicate that a large subpopulation of female psychiatric patients from the general population may have abnormal function of the inactive X chromosome,” lead author Xianjin Zhou, Ph.D., from University of California, San Diego, said in a statement. “These results are powerful in that early diagnosis of mental illness could possibly happen with a simple blood test, leading to better interventions, therapy, and treatment options.” Zhou and colleagues previously analyzed protein translation in lymphoblastoid cells and found significantly larger variation of activity in female psychiatric patients, compared to healthy controls. In the present study, XIST and related genes were studied in 36 lymphoblastoid cell lines from healthy females and 60 similar cell lines from female patients with bipolar disorder or recurrent major depression. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to […]