Pretreatment plasma homovanillic acid in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder: the influence of demographic variables and the inpatient drug-free period.
BACKGROUND
The relationship between plasma homovanillic acid (pHVA) and schizophrenic symptoms has not been conclusively determined. We reexamine pHVA levels in a new sample of patients with emphasis on demographic variables and the drug-free period.


METHODS
Plasma HVA levels were studied in 54 schizophrenic and schizoaffective-disordered, drug-free inpatients suffering from a psychotic exacerbation.


RESULTS
A significant correlation was observed between pHVA levels and the number of inpatient drug-free days in the total sample, as well as the schizophrenic patient subsample. Further, pHVA was significantly and positively correlated with the duration of illness in the schizophrenic patient subsample. Plasma HVA correlations with behavior, as measured by Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale factors (anxiety/depression and hostility/suspiciousness), emerged only when considering schizophrenic patients drug-free for more than 2 weeks. No correlation was found between pHVA and the age of illness onset or the duration of the delay of treatment of the first psychotic episode.


CONCLUSIONS
The effects of antipsychotic withdrawal on levels of pHVA in clinical populations may have to be examined and controlled for in future studies attempting to study the relationship between this metabolite and behavior in acutely ill, drug-free schizophrenic patients.
Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA.
R P
RP
Sharma
J I
JI
Javaid
J M
JM
Davis
P G
PG
Janicak
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; D005260:Female; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D013997:Time Factors
D006719:Homovanillic Acid