title: Increased plasma leptin in antipsychotic-naïve females with schizophrenia, but not in males.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Metabolic abnormalities, including insulin resistance and increased leptin levels, were noted in patients with schizophrenia who had received antipsychotics. In this study, we examined the leptin levels of antipsychotic-naïve schizophrenic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen antipsychotic-naïve patients with schizophrenia and 16 sex-, age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched subjects were recruited from the psychiatric outpatient clinic and community, respectively. Serum leptin levels of the healthy controls and antipsychotic-naïve patients were compared. The relationships between leptin level and gender, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale score, and duration of illness were analyzed by Spearman's correlation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with sex-, age- and BMI-matched subjects, the female schizophrenic patients had elevated serum leptin levels. In the male patients, the results of this preliminary study also revealed a positive correlation between leptin levels and the Aggression Risk Profile subscale of the PANSS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This preliminary study suggests possible gender-specific leptin dysregulation in antipsychotic-naïve schizophrenic patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsuan Chi
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yen Kuang
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Po See
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: I Hui
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Tzung Lieh
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Ru Band
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin