title: Elevated serum superoxide dismutase and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in schizophrenia: a study of patients treated with haloperidol or clozapine.
abstract: There is strong evidence that oxygen free radicals may play an important role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Impaired antioxidant defense and increased lipid peroxidation have been previously reported in drug-naïve, first episode and chronically medicated schizophrenic patients using typical neuroleptics. We measured serum SOD and TBARS in two groups of chronic medicated DSM-IV schizophrenic patients, under haloperidol (n = 10) or clozapine (n = 7) and a group of healthy controls (n = 15). Serum SOD and TBARS were significantly higher (p = 0.001) in schizophrenic patients (7.1 +/- 3.0 and 3.8 +/- 0.8) than in controls (4.0 +/- 1.6 and 2.5 +/- 0.7). Among patients, serum TBARS was significantly higher (p = 0.008) in those under clozapine (4.4 +/- 0.7) than in those under haloperidol treatment (3.4 +/- 0.7). For SOD levels the difference between groups was not found. It is reasonable to argue that the difference found in TBARS levels might be due to the course of the disease, instead of medication. Further investigation on the role of oxidative tonus and lipid peroxidation in different schizophrenia subtypes and different outcome patterns in this disorder is warranted. Additionally it could also address questions concerning a possible oxidant/antioxidant imbalance in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psiquiatria, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Laboratório de Psiquiatria Experimental. Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil. csgama@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Clarissa Severino
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Gama
authors.forename: Mirian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salvador
authors.forename: Ana Cristina
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Andreazza
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kapczinski
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Silva Belmonte-de-Abreu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; D003024:Clozapine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood*; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D003024:Clozapine; D006220:Haloperidol