This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit an eLetter
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Related articles in BJP
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by YOUNG, R. McD.
Right arrow Articles by NOBLE, E. P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by YOUNG, R. McD.
Right arrow Articles by NOBLE, E. P.
The British Journal of Psychiatry (2004) 185: 147-151
© 2004 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

Prolactin levels in antipsychotic treatment of patients with schizophrenia carrying the DRD2*A1 allele

ROSS McD. YOUNG, PhD, DipClinPsych MAPS

School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia, and Alcohol Research Center, Neuropsychiatric Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA

BRUCE R. LAWFORD, MBBS, FRANZCP, FAChAM (RACP)

Division of Mental Health, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, and Alcohol Research Center, Neuropsychiatric Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA

MARK BARNES, MBChB, FRANZCP and SIMON C. BURTON, MBChB, FRANZCP

Division of Mental Health, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane, Australia

TERRY RITCHIE, PhD

Alcohol Research Center, Neuropsychiatric Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA

WARREN K. WARD, MBBS, FRANZCP

Division of Mental Health, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane, Australia

ERNEST P. NOBLE, PhD, MD

Alcohol Research Center, Neuropsychiatric Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA

Correspondence: Professor Ernest P. Noble, Alcohol Research Center, Neuropsychiatric Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1759, USA. Tel: +1 310 825 1891; fax: +1 310 206 7309; e-mail: epnoble{at}ucla.edu

Declaration of interest Funding from the Risperidal Foundation, Janssen-Cilag.

Background Hyperprolactinaemia induced by D2 dopamine receptor antagonist antipsychotic medication can result in significant health problems.

Aims To examine the role of DRD2 polymorphism on prolactin levels in patients treated with antipsychotic medication.

Method Antipsychotic drugs with different degrees of D2 receptor binding were given to 144 patients with schizophrenia. Serum prolactin levels were obtained and Taq1A DRD2 alleles were determined.

Results Prolactin levels increased across medication groups reflecting increasingly tight D2 receptor binding (clozapine, olanzapine, typical antipsychotics and risperidone). In the combined medication group, patients with the DRD2*A1allele had 40% higher prolactin levels than patients without this allele. In patients treated with clozapine (the loosest D2 receptor binding agent), patients with the DRD2*A1allele had prolactin levels twice those of patients without this allele.

Conclusions Patients with the DRD2A1 allele receiving antipsychotic medications had higher prolactin levels and were overrepresented among those with hyperprolactinaemia, suggesting greater functional D2 receptor binding in this group.


Related articles in BJP:

Highlights of this issue
ELIZABETH WALSH
BJP 2004 185: 95-a7. [Full Text]