Segundo Mesa Castillo
Psychiatric Hospital of Havana, Cuba
Keynote: J Cell Signal
Introduction: There is increasing evidence that favors the prenatal beginning of schizophrenia. These evidence point toward
intra-uterine environmental factors that act specifically during the second pregnancy trimester producing a direct damage to
the brain of the fetus. The currently available technology doesn't allow observing what is happening at the cellular level since
the human brain is not exposed to a direct analysis in that stage of the life in subjects at high risk of developing schizophrenia.
Methods: In 1977 we began a direct electron microscopic research of the brain of fetuses at high risk from schizophrenic
mothers in order to find differences at the cellular level in relation to controls.
Results: In these studies, we have observed within the nuclei of neurons the presence of complete and incomplete viral particles
that reacted in positive form with antibodies to herpes simplex hominis type I [HSV1] virus, and mitochondria alterations.
Conclusion: The importance of these findings can have practical applications in the prevention of the illness keeping in mind its
direct relation to the etiology and physiopathology of schizophrenia. A study of amniotic fluid cells in women at risk of having a
schizophrenic offspring is considered. Of being observed the same alterations that those observed previously in the cells of the
brain of the studied foetuses, it would intend to these women in risk of having a schizophrenia descendant, previous information
of the results, the voluntary medical interruption of the pregnancy or an early anti HSV1 viral treatment as preventive measure
of the later development of the illness.
Segundo Mesa Castillo a specialist in Neurology, he worked for 10 years in the Institute of Neurology of Havana, Cuba. He has worked in Electron Microscopic Studies on Schizophrenia for 32 years. He was awarded the International Price of the Stanley Foundation Award Program and for the Professional Committee to work as a fellowship position in the Laboratory of the Central Nervous System Studies, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke under Dr Joseph Gibbs for a period of 6 months, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, Washington DC USA, June 5, 1990. At present, he is a member of the Scientific Board of the Psychiatric Hospital of Havana and gives lectures to residents in psychiatry.
E-mail: segundo@infomed.sld.cu
