title: Associations of blood homocysteine concentrations in Arab schizophrenic patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to evaluate the blood homocysteine concentration in Arab patients with schizophrenia and assess its associations with clinical phenotypes of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two age-matched groups of subjects were studied: (1) Healthy Controls, HC, n=165; (2) patients with schizophrenia, SZ: n=207. Each subject was evaluated with a standard questionnaire for age at disease onset, family history, disease severity and outcome. Plasma homocysteine levels (Hcys) were measured by immunoassay and serum levels of other biochemical parameters were measured by routine Autoanalyzer techniques.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Group HC was heavier (body mass index, BMI) while SZ had greater waist-hip ratio (WHR) and plasma Hcys levels. In SZ, there were significant correlations between Hcys and BMI, triglycerides and HDL. Hcys levels in SZ were highest in the younger male patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Schizophrenic patients have increased blood Hcys levels which correlate with components of the metabolic syndrome. Hcys levels were highest in the younger male patients and were not influenced by prognostic features of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Chemistry Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, P O Box 24923 Safat, 13110 Kuwait. abayomi@hsc.edu.kw
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Akanji
authors.forename: J U
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Ohaeri
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Al-Shammri
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Fatania
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018912:Arabs; D001824:Body Constitution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio
chemical_list: D008074:Lipoproteins; D006710:Homocysteine