Table 2. Correlations between dopamine-related gene or protein expression RIN, pH, PMI, age at death, measures of antipsychotic drug treatment and duration of illness.
| Gene/protein of interest | RIN, PMI, pH, age | N | P | Correlation coefficient | Chlorpromazine equivalent | N | P | Correlation coefficient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TH mRNA | RIN | 55 | 0.001 | 0.457* | Life time | 21 | 0.987 | 0.004 |
| pH | 55 | 0.004 | 0.378* | Mean daily | 21 | 0.913 | 0.025 | |
| PMI | 55 | 0.716 | −0.5 | Last dose | 27 | 0.365 | −0.181 | |
| Age | 55 | 0.903 | 0.17 | Illness duration | 27 | 0.824 | 0.045 | |
| AADC mRNA | RIN | 55 | 0.216 | 0.113 | Life time | 21 | 0.575 | −0.13 |
| pH | 55 | 0.03 | 0.292* | Mean daily | 21 | 0.693 | −0.092 | |
| PMI | 55 | 0.839 | −0.028 | Last dose | 26 | 0.165 | −0.281 | |
| Age | 55 | 0.288 | 0.146 | Illness duration | 26 | 0.627 | 0.1 | |
| DAT mRNA | RIN | 56 | 0.017 | 0.319* | Life time | 21 | 0.239 | −0.269 |
| pH | 56 | 0.009 | 0.344* | Mean daily | 21 | 0.315 | −0.231 | |
| PMI | 56 | 0.6 | −0.072 | Last dose | 27 | 0.198 | −0.256 | |
| Age | 56 | 0.924 | −0.013 | Illness duration | 27 | 0.886 | 0.029 | |
| VMAT2 mRNA | RIN | 55 | 0.001 | 0.514* | Life time | 21 | 0.61 | −0.118 |
| pH | 55 | 0.001 | 0.485* | Mean daily | 21 | 0.689 | −0.093 | |
| PMI | 55 | 0.933 | 0.012 | Last dose | 27 | 0.376 | −0.177 | |
| Age | 55 | 0.354 | 0.127 | Illness duration | 27 | 0.702 | 0.077 | |
| MAOA mRNA | RIN | 57 | 0.001 | −0.528* | Life time | 22 | 0.644 | 0.104 |
| pH | 57 | 0.001 | −0.498* | Mean daily | 22 | 0.793 | 0.059 | |
| PMI | 57 | 0.238 | 0.159 | Last dose | 28 | 0.408 | −0.163 | |
| Age | 57 | 0.64 | 0.063 | Illness duration | 28 | 0.403 | 0.164 | |
| MAOB mRNA | RIN | 54 | 0.007 | −0.366* | Life time | 20 | 0.677 | −0.099 |
| pH | 54 | 0.014 | 0.332* | Mean daily | 20 | 0.789 | −0.064 | |
| PMI | 54 | 0.526 | 0.088 | Last dose | 26 | 0.482 | −0.144 | |
| Age | 54 | 0.236 | 0.164 | Illness duration | 26 | 0.559 | 0.12 | |
| COMT mRNA | RIN | 57 | 0.001 | −0.457* | Life time | 22 | 0.687 | −0.091 |
| pH | 57 | 0.001 | −0.518* | Mean daily | 22 | 0.32 | −0.222 | |
| PMI | 57 | 0.729 | 0.047 | Last dose | 28 | 0.771 | 0.058 | |
| Age | 57 | 0.355 | −0.125 | Illness duration | 28 | 0.888 | 0.028 | |
| DRD2short mRNA | RIN | 56 | 0.001 | 0.441* | Life time | 21 | 0.61 | −0.118 |
| pH | 56 | 0.001 | 0.493* | Mean daily | 21 | 0.445 | −0.176 | |
| PMI | 56 | 0.894 | 0.018 | Last dose | 27 | 0.529 | −0.127 | |
| Age | 56 | 0.432 | 0.107 | Illness duration | 27 | 0.698 | 0.078 | |
| DRD2L mRNA | RIN | 57 | 0.001 | 0.415* | Life time | 22 | 0.32 | −0.223 |
| pH | 57 | 0.01 | 0.340* | Mean daily | 22 | 0.131 | −0.332 | |
| PMI | 57 | 0.705 | 0.051 | Last dose | 28 | 0.417 | −0.16 | |
| Age | 57 | 0.4 | 0.114 | Illness duration | 28 | 0.929 | 0.018 | |
| DRD2longer mRNA | RIN | 57 | 0.052 | 0.259* | Life time | 22 | 0.582 | −0.124 |
| pH | 57 | 0.09 | 0.227& | Mean daily | 22 | 0.303 | −0.23 | |
| PMI | 57 | 0.431 | 0.106 | Last dose | 28 | 0.256 | −0.222 | |
| Age | 57 | 0.4 | 0.114 | Illness duration | 28 | 0.991 | −0.002 | |
| DRD3 mRNA | RIN | 54 | 0.254 | 0.158 | Life time | 20 | 0.613 | −0.12 |
| pH | 54 | 0.011 | 0.344* | Mean daily | 20 | 0.104 | −0.375 | |
| PMI | 54 | 0.49 | 0.096 | Last dose | 26 | 0.444 | 0.157 | |
| Age | 54 | 0.35 | −0.13 | Illness duration | 26 | 0.368 | −0.184 | |
| DRD3nf mRNA | RIN | 56 | 0.206 | 0.172 | Life time | 21 | 0.407 | −0.191 |
| pH | 56 | 0.031 | 0.288* | Mean daily | 21 | 0.125 | −0.346 | |
| PMI | 56 | 0.165 | 0.188 | Last dose | 27 | 0.842 | 0.04 | |
| Age | 56 | 0.275 | −0.148 | Illness duration | 27 | 0.173 | −0.27 | |
| TH protein | pH | 54 | 0.002 | 0.413* | Life time | 20 | 0.349 | −0.221 |
| PMI | 54 | 0.614 | −0.07 | Mean daily | 20 | 0.992 | 0.002 | |
| Age | 54 | 0.95 | −0.009 | Last dose | 26 | 0.602 | 0.107 | |
| Illness duration | 25 | 0.403 | 0.175 | |||||
| DAT protein | pH | 54 | 0.875 | 0.022 | Life time | 20 | 0.724 | 0.084 |
| PMI | 54 | 0.476 | 0.099 | Mean daily | 20 | 0.615 | 0.12 | |
| Age | 54 | 0.188 | −0.182 | Last dose | 26 | 0.797 | 0.053 | |
| Illness duration | 25 | 0.736 | −0.071 |
Abbreviations: AADC, aromatic acid decarboxylase; COMT, catechol-O-methyl transferase; DAT, dopamine transporter; DRD, dopamine receptor D; DRD3nf, DRD3 non-functional; MAOA, midbrain monoamine oxidase A; PMI, post-mortem interval; RIN, RNA integrity number; TH, tyrosine hydroxylase; VMAT2, vesicular monoamine transporter 2. *P⩽0.05.