The expression of an N-CAM serum fragment is positively correlated with severity of negative features in type II schizophrenia.
The expression of a 70-kD serum fragment of the neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) in schizophrenia is described. Schizophrenic patients (n = 40) were found to have statistically significant increases (p less than 0.0001) in serum N-CAM levels when compared to normal individuals (n = 26), and this could not be associated with age or sex. This difference was more marked (p less than 0.0001) between type II schizophrenics (n = 13) and normal individuals (n = 26) than when patients in the overlap group between type I and type II schizophrenia (n = 18) were compared to normal individuals (p less than 0.001). This difference remained significant (p less than 0.01) when overlap patients were compared to those of type II schizophrenia. Furthermore, schizophrenic patients with lower serum N-CAM proved to be better responders to neuroleptic therapy. We suggest that these elevated serum N-CAM levels reflect an increased synaptic turnover rate in this psychotic state.
Lyons
F
F
Department of Pharmacology, University College, Belfield, Dublin.
Martin
M L
ML
Maguire
C
C
Jackson
A
A
Regan
C M
CM
Shelley
R K
RK
D000328:Adult; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000097:blood*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules