Relationship of symptomatology, gender, and antipsychotic drug treatment with plasma homovanillic acid in schizophrenia.
OBJECTIVE
To study the role of dopamine neurotransmission in schizophrenia and its drug treatment by assessing the relationship of plasma homovanillic acid (pHVA), a major central dopamine metabolite to various clinical parameters in schizophrenic patients.


METHODS
pHVA was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection in a large cohort of both medicated and unmedicated DSM-IV schizophrenic patients. Prior to the measurement of pHVA, the patients were rated on the schedule for the assessment of positive and negative symptoms (PANSS).


RESULTS
(1) pHVA in 46 patients receiving antipsychotic drugs was decreased, and in 58 drug-free patients increased, (7.4+/-2.7) microg/L and (10+/-4) microg/L compared with a matched control group (9 microg/L+/-3 microg/L, n=62) (ANOVA F=8.57, df=2, P < 0.01), respectively. Within the drug-free group, pHVA was higher in the patients with a more negative symptom profile. (2) No significant correlation of pHVA with overall SAPS or SANS scores was apparent in the drug-free patients, although within the SANS subscales, a significant relationships to anhedonia-asociality (r=0.32, P < 0.05) was apparent. The male drug-free patients showed a positive correlation of pHVA with negative symptoms (r=0.42, P < 0.05) while females showed no significant relationship with any PANSS subscales.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that an increased dopaminergic metabolism is apparent in (male) schizophrenic patients with predominantly negative symptoms, supporting reports that this change in neuronal activity may be related to the neuropathological abnormalities seen in the disease, which may differ between males and females. Such neuronal deficits of developmental origin may thus result in an elevation/disinhibition of central dopamine metabolism in schizophrenia.
Zhang
Z J
ZJ
The Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China. LbiCheng@public1.ptt.js.cn
Reynolds
G P
GP
Ramchand
C
C
Peet
M
M
Shah
S
S
D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002746:Chlorpromazine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood*; D012737:Sex Factors
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D002746:Chlorpromazine; D006719:Homovanillic Acid