title: Coagulation and inflammation markers during atypical or typical antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia patients and drug-free first-degree relatives.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clinical studies suggest that the second generation antipsychotics (APs) clozapine and olanzapine and to a lesser extent the typical antipsychotics may be associated with a procoagulant and proinflammatory state that promotes venous thromboembolism. We evaluated here several blood factors associated with coagulation and inflammation in AP-treated schizophrenia patients and their first-degree relatives.
  
  
  METHODS
  Procoagulant factors (fibrinogen and plasminogen activator inhibitor [PAI-1]), the anticoagulant factor antithrombin III [AT-III], and inflammation-related factors (C-reactive protein [CRP] and leptin) were assessed in patients chronically treated with clozapine (n=29), olanzapine (n=29), typical APs (n=30) and first degree relatives of clozapine (n=23) and olanzapine subjects (n=11).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The typical AP group had the highest CRP level (p=0.013) in spite of having the lowest body mass index (BMI). Patients as a single group had higher CRP levels than relatives (p=0.003). The typical AP group also had the highest AT-III levels (p=0.021). Fibrinogen levels did not differ between the groups (p=0.13). Olanzapine patients displayed the highest PAI-1 and leptin levels among the drug-treated subjects, but values were similar to those observed in their relatives, and were significantly correlated with the BMI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A homogeneous negative profile of high inflammation and procoagulant factors along with low levels of anticoagulants was not detected in any group. While preliminary, our results suggest that the observed abnormalities were not related to a direct drug effect, but to elevated BMI (high PAI-1 and leptin in olanzapine-treated patients). We speculate that the high CRP in the typical AP group might be related to poor lifestyle habits, but this must we confirmed in future studies.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Research Dr. Américo Negrette, Zulia University Medical School, and University Psychiatric Hospital, Maracaibo, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Edgardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carrizo
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Quintero
authors.forename: Lissette
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Connell
authors.forename: Zulay
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Mônica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mosquera
authors.forename: Arnaldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Acosta
authors.forename: Trino
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baptista
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000990:Antithrombin III / Q000378:metabolism; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003024:Clozapine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077152:Olanzapine; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics*; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D019851:Thrombophilia / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D020738:Leptin; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; C051321:SERPINE1 protein, human; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D000990:Antithrombin III; D005340:Fibrinogen; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D003024:Clozapine; D000077152:Olanzapine