Table 2.
Main findings from human studies supporting the role of AEA and 2-AG as biomarkers in psychiatric disorders.
| AEA & 2-AG | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subjects/Diagnosis | Sample | Method | Measurement | Results | References |
| DD | Serum | Chemical ionization liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-APCI-MS) | AEA and 2-AG quantification | ↑ AEA in minor depression ↓ 2-AG in major depression |
Hill et al. (226) |
| DD | Serum | Chemical ionization liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-APCI-MS) | AEA and 2-AG quantification | ↓ AEA ↓ 2-AG |
Hill et al. (227) |
| DD | Plasma | Chromatography-coupled tandem mass spectrometry system | AEA and 2-AG quantification | ↑ AEA | Romero-Sanchiz et al. (228) |
| DD | Serum | Electrospray ionization liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS-MS) | AEA and 2-AG quantification | ↑ AEA = 2-AG after moderate exercise | Meyer et al. (230) |
| DD | CSF | Liquid chromatography-multiple reaction monitoring (LC/MRM) | AEA and 2-AG quantification | ↑ AEA ↑ 2-AG after ECT | Kranaster et al. (231) |
| SCZ | CSF | High pressure liquid chromatography-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC-GC/MS) | AEA quantification | ↑ AEA | Leweke et al. (300) |
| SCZ | CSF | High pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) | AEA quantification | ↑ AEA in antipsychotics-naïve patients = AEA in typical antipsychotics-treated patients |
Giuffrida et al. (301) |
| SCZ | Blood | Chemical ionization liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-APCI-MS) | AEA quantification | ↑ AEA ↓ AEA with clinical remission |
De Marchi et al. (295) |
| SCZ | Plasma | Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) | AEA quantification | ↑ AEA | Koethe, D. et al. (303) |
| SCZ | PMBT (several regions) | Liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) |
AEA and 2-AG quantification | ↓ AEA ↑ 2-AG |
Muguruza et al. (306) |
| PTSD | Plasma | Chemical ionization liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-APCI-MS) | AEA and 2-AG quantification | = AEA ↓ 2-AG |
Hill et al. (341) |
| AN | Plasma | Chemical ionization liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-APCI-MS) | AEA and 2-AG quantification | ↑ AEA =2-AG |
Monteleone et al. (370) |
DD, depressive disorder; SCZ, schizophrenia; PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder; AN, anorexia nervosa; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; PMBT, post-mortem brain tissue; AEA, anandamide; 2-AG, 2-araquinoylglycerol.
↓: decrease and ↑: increase.