title: Serum total homocystein, folate and vitamin B12 levels and their correlation with antipsychotic drug doses in adult male patients with chronic schizophrenia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Elevated blood levels of homocysteine (hCY) have been associated with schizophrenic male patients. However, controversy remains regarding the association between lowered plasma folate and vitamin B12, hyperhomocysteinemia, and schizophrenia. Sixty-six (66) male patients with chronic schizophrenia were investigated to test the hypotheses that alterations in Hcy, folate, and vitamin B12 levels might be related to the antipsychotic drug doses used in treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum total homocysteine, folic acid, and vitamin B12 levels were determined by chemiluminescence methods in both patients and control subjects. The patients were grouped according to the antipsychotic drug doses used in their treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients had higher homocysteine levels but they did not differ from controls in terms of folate and vitamin B12 levels. On the other hand, only folate levels were negatively correlated in the patient group treated with higher therapeutic doses of chlorpromazine equivalents (> 400 mg/day) compared to the patient group with lower doses (< 400 mg/day).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings show that higher typical antipsychotic drugs may play a role as modifiying factor for folate metabolism in chronic schizoprenic male patients.
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory of Public Health, Ministery of Health, Antalya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Esin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eren
authors.forename: Ayşenur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yeğin
authors.forename: Necat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Herken
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002746:Chlorpromazine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D006710:Homocysteine; D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12; D002746:Chlorpromazine