Keizo Asami Laboratory-LIKA, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
J Mol Neurosci. 2012 May;47(1):26-30. doi: 10.1007/s12031-011-9656-6. Epub 2011 Oct 11.
Bipolar disorder (BD) is a cyclical and chronic affective disorder, globally recognized as an important public health problem and characterized by mood changes with recurring phases such as mania and depression. It is considered a complex disease, depending on the interaction of genetic and environmental triggers (stressors factors), but with a poorly known pathogenesis. Recent studies have implicated immune factors in the pathogenesis of BD and more particularly associated with different human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) regions. A major consortium study have recently linked BD to hundreds of variations with stronger associations in the MHC region, such as the rs3130297 SNP, located in the NOTCH4 gene, with an additional overlapping association with schizophrenia. This short review focuses on studies that investigated the association between bipolar disorder and the MHC, and the involvement of the immune system in the pathogenesis of the disease, in order to provide further information for additional diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Fully understanding the etiology and pathophysiology of BD is extremely important to define new approaches for intervention and prevention, maybe through the modulation of the immune system.
双相情感障碍（BD）是一种周期性和慢性情感障碍，在全球范围内被认为是一个重要的公共卫生问题，其特征是情绪变化反复发作，如躁狂和抑郁。它被认为是一种复杂的疾病，取决于遗传和环境触发因素（应激因素）的相互作用，但发病机制知之甚少。最近的研究表明，免疫因素与 BD 的发病机制有关，特别是与人类主要组织相容性复合体（MHC）的不同区域有关。最近的一项主要合作研究将 BD 与数百种与 MHC 区域关联更强的变异联系起来，例如位于 NOTCH4 基因中的 rs3130297 SNP，与精神分裂症存在重叠关联。这篇简短的综述重点介绍了研究双相情感障碍与 MHC 之间的关联以及免疫系统在疾病发病机制中的作用，旨在为进一步的诊断和治疗策略提供更多信息。充分了解 BD 的病因和病理生理学对于确定干预和预防的新方法非常重要，也许可以通过调节免疫系统来实现。
