Preliminary studies on apparent mendelian psychotic disorders in consanguineous families.

BACKGROUND: Psychiatric disorders are characterized by alteration in emotions, mood and behavior. Genetics is known to play a significant role in the development of psychiatric disorders. Genome-wide association studies have identified several loci associated with psychiatric illnesses. We hypothesize the existence of rare variants following Mendelian recessive mode of inheritance. These variants can be identified in families with multiple affected individuals born to unaffected consanguineous parents. METHODS: We visited psychiatric outpatient departments of multiple hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan. We focused on psychosis, as it can occur in several DSM disorders such as schizophrenia, dementia and bipolar disorder. After clinical diagnosis by an American trained psychiatrist, detailed clinical assessments using Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies (DIGS), Diagnostic Interview for Psychosis and Affective Disorders (DI-PAD), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Hamilton Depression and Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-D; HAM-A) were administered to all willing affected and unaffected participants. RESULTS: We identified eight pedigrees with two or more psychotic individuals in each family. Clinical diagnoses determined by their psychiatrists included ten individuals with schizophrenia; four individuals with psychosis and bipolar disorder; and two patients with "unspecified psychosis." The rating instruments rigorously confirmed the diagnosis of psychosis in the affected patients from the six families as well as the absence of psychotic disorders in unaffected individuals from the six families. We obtained DNA samples from willing members of all eight families for future genetic analyses. CONCLUSION: Our research highlights an alternative approach to discovery of rare recessively inherited genetic variants causing psychiatric disorders that have remained unidentified to date. These findings could illuminate underlying biological mechanisms leading toward development of targeted therapies in future.

Passive immunization: Paradoxical and traditional method for new pandemic challenge COVID-19.

World has been suffering from pandemic caused by mysterious Coronavirus. The novel member of Coronaviridae causing COVID-19 disease is named as SARS-Cov-2. Its first case was reported in China by the end of 2019, but its exponential spread has wrapped entire globe, suspended and is penalizing mankind. A retrospective meta-analysis study showed that outbreaks of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and SARS-Cov-1 (Coronaviridae), influenza infection H1N1 and West-African Ebola caused lower mortality than this new pandemic COVID-19. Virus has appeared as a new human pathogen so to counter COVID-19 no specific vaccine, monoclonal antibodies have been manufactured till day. The outbreak of novel Coronavirus is treated with antimicrobial drugs but they have their own mild side effects. But the drastic spread of COVID-19 compels us also to use other ways to counter pandemic. Thus, passive immunization can be opted to hold back this mysterious virus. Passive immunization has been in use since early 20th century and showed its effectiveness against all previous infectious outbreaks including MERS and SARS-Cov-1 members of Coronaviridae. The review argues that convalescent plasma is an explicit option for containment of COVID-19 disease.