Homocysteine level in schizophrenia patients.
OBJECTIVE
Elevated serum levels of homocysteine have been shown to be associated with schizophrenia in some studies, but the evidence is still limited and mixed. The aim of the present study was therefore to evaluate the serum homocysteine level in Chinese in schizophrenia patients and assess its association with clinical phenotypes of the disease.


METHODS
A total of 250 inpatients and 250 healthy controls were identified at Kowloon Hospital and the Red Cross Blood Donation Centre, respectively. Each subject was evaluated with a structured diagnostic interview. Demographic data were collected and blood was analysed for homocysteine level. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale was used to grade clinical symptoms of schizophrenia. Confounding factors affecting homocysteine levels were controlled by strict exclusion criteria or statistical methods.


RESULTS
Serum homocysteine level was elevated in Chinese schizophrenia patients. Both male (mean, 12.26 micromol L(-1); control, 11.40 micromol L(-1), p = 0.026) and female (mean, 9.61 micromol L(-1); control, 8.33 micromol L(-1), p < 0.001) patients had a higher serum homocysteine level than the healthy controls, and these differences persisted after controlling for age. There was no significant association between serum homocysteine level and duration of illness, clinical symptoms or age of onset of schizophrenia.


CONCLUSIONS
The serum homocysteine levels were elevated in both male and female Chinese schizophrenia patients. The levels were not apparently related to other clinical parameters.
Ma
Yin Ying
YY
Department of Psychiatry, Kowloon Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong. yinyingma@yahoo.com
Shek
Chi Chung
CC
Wong
Max C K
MC
Yip
Ka Chee
KC
Ng
Roger M K
RM
Nguyen
Desmond G H
DG
Poon
Ting Keung
TK
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D044466:Asian People; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D006710:Homocysteine