title: Altered thermoregulation in ambulatory schizophrenia patients: a naturalistic study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Schizophrenia patients may exhibit alterations in core/body temperature. Hence, we intended to examine the potential existence of thermoregulatory abnormalities in ambulatory schizophrenia patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anonymous electronic patient record data of the Leumit Health Fund (Israel) were screened for all schizophrenia patients who have no other apparent chronic co-morbidity (mental or non-mental) and had their oral temperature assessed during routine follow-ups (Schiz-rFUs) or for various transitory infectious/inflammatory processes (Schiz-Infect) during the years 1999-2005 (n = 535). The comparison group consisted of a comparable sample (n = 560) of healthy subjects (Control-rFUs and Control-Infect).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sub-group of Schiz-rFUs (n = 216) exhibited significantly lower mean oral temperature compared to the matched group of Control-rFUs (n = 140) (36.72 +/- 0.54 vs. 36.94 +/- 0.64C, respectively; P<0.05). There was no significant difference in mean oral temperatures between the Schiz-Infect (n = 319) and the Control-Infect (n = 420) (37.32 +/- 0.92 vs. 37.28 +/- 0.98C, respectively; NS).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ambulatory schizophrenia patients without a concomitant infectious/inflammatory process exhibit altered thermoregulation manifested by a substantial (about 0.2 C) and significantly lower oral temperature compared to healthy comparison subjects as well as a potential exaggerated increase in oral temperature during transitory infectious/inflammatory processes. The relevance of these phenomena to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia as well as the potential immune-mediated pathologies in schizophrenia merit further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Geha Mental Health Center, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petach-Tikva, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. ronishiloh@gmail.com
authors.forename: Roni
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shiloh
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weizman
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stryjer
authors.forename: Natan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kahan
authors.forename: Dan-Andrei
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Waitman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000503:physiopathology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult