DBI is a neropeptide isolated from rat and human brain which interacts with beta-carbolines and benzodiazepine recognition sies and down regulates GABA receptor function. Using a specific antibody raised against human DBI we have measured DBI content in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 28 normal volunteers age and sex matched with a group of 45 patients suffering from various neuropsychiatric disorders. The amount of DBI-like immunoreactivity in CSF appears to change with age, sex and in a small group of depressed patients. However, conclusion that changes of CSF-DBI content are related to psychiatric symptoms requires a greater number of cases to be analyzed.
