Comparative analysis of COMT expression levels in blood and exosome-derived samples of patients with schizophrenia

Purpose: The objective of this study was to analyse the variability of COMT expression in peripheral blood and exosome samples from individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and to establish its correlation with the drugs employed in the treatment of schizophrenia. Materials and Methods: 45 subjects diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia were included in the patient group and 45 healthy volunteers with no family history of chronic schizophrenia were included in the control group. RNA isolation from exosome and peripheral blood was performed for each individual in the sample group. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to determine COMT expression levels obtained from peripheral blood and exosome samples and their association with drugs used in antipsychotic therapy was evaluated. Results: Differential gene expression analysis was performed using the 2-ΔΔCT method. The analysis revealed an increase in COMT gene expression levels in exosome samples. Similarly, an increase in COMT expression levels was detected in peripheral blood samples. In peripheral blood samples, 31 patients exhibited an increase and 14 patients exhibited a decrease. In the exosome samples, a decrease in COMT gene expression was observed in 25 subjects, while an increase was observed in 20 subjects. A statistically significant difference was found between COMT expression levels in peripheral blood and exosome samples. Conclusion: Investigation of alterations in COMT expression levels in schizophrenia and its treatment may provide a valuable framework for future studies to elucidate the mechanisms of this psychiatric disorder.