title: Homocysteine level in schizophrenia patients.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Kowloon Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong. yinyingma@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Yin Ying
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Chi Chung
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Shek
authors.forename: Max C K
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Ka Chee
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Yip
authors.forename: Roger M K
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Desmond G H
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Ting Keung
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Poon
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine