Am J Psychiatry 1984; 141:1059-1066
Copyright © 1984 by American Psychiatric Association
CSF and plasma beta-casomorphin-like opioid peptides in postpartum psychosis
LH Lindstrom, F Nyberg, L Terenius, K Bauer, G Besev, LM Gunne, S Lyrenas, G Willdeck-Lund and B Lindberg
The authors measured opioid receptor-active components in the CSF of 11
women with postpartum psychosis, 11 healthy lactating women, and 16 healthy
women who were not lactating. Activity that eluted with 0.2 M acetic acid
0.7-0.9 times the total volume of the column (fraction II activity) was
significantly higher in the CSF of both healthy and psychotic women in the
puerperium than in that of the lactating women. Very high levels of
fraction II activity were seen in four psychotic patients. Material from
these patients was further characterized by electrophoresis and
high-performance liquid chromatography: The material migrated as bovine
beta-casomorphin. Receptor-active material with the same characteristics
was also found in the plasma of these four patients. The authors conclude
that certain cases of postpartum psychosis are associated with the
occurrence in plasma and CSF of unique opioid peptides probably related to
bovine beta-casomorphin.
