title: Vitamin D in schizophrenia, major depression and alcoholism.
abstract: 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, calcium, phosphate and parathyreoidal hormone levels were assessed in 34 patients with schizophrenia (DSM-III-R, 44% female, mean age 38.9 +/- 2.1 years), 30 patients with alcohol addiction (16% female, mean age 48.7 +/- 2.2 years), 25 patients with major depression (56% female, mean age 57.6+/- years) and 31 healthy controls. Only 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and 1,25-dihydroxvitamin D3 levels were significantly lower in all groups of psychiatric patients than in normal controls, but not phosphate, calcium and parathyreoidal hormone levels. Significant differences in the vitamin D levels could not be found between the three psychiatric groups. These findings do not support the idea that vitamin D is specifically involved in the pathophysiology of depression. The difference in patients as compared to the healthy controls might be related to a different social background resulting in differing habits e.g. of nutrition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy I, University of Frankfurt/Main, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frensch
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fritz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002112:Calcifediol / Q000097:blood*; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000097:blood*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D002117:Calcitriol; D002112:Calcifediol