title: Negative correlation between cerebrospinal fluid oxytocin levels and negative symptoms of male patients with schizophrenia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Accumulating evidence indicates that oxytocin plays an important role in social interactions. Previous studies also suggest altered oxytocin function in patients with schizophrenia and depression. However, few studies have examined the central oxytocin levels in these disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) oxytocin levels were measured by ELISA in male participants consisting of 27 patients with schizophrenia, 17 with major depressive disorder (MDD), and 21 healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CSF oxytocin levels of patients with schizophrenia or MDD did not differ significantly with healthy controls. The antidepressant dose or the Hamilton depression rating scale score did not significantly correlate with the oxytocin levels in MDD patients. CSF oxytocin levels in schizophrenic patients significantly negatively correlated with second generation antipsychotic dose (r=-0.49, P=0.010) but not with first generation antipsychotic dose (r=-0.13, P=0.50). A significant correlation was observed between oxytocin levels and negative subscale of PANSS (r=-0.38, P=0.050). This correlation remained significant even after controlling for second generation antipsychotic dose (r=-0.47, P=0.016).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We obtained no evidence of altered CSF oxytocin levels in patients with schizophrenia or those with MDD. However, lower oxytocin levels may be related to higher second generation antipsychotic dose and more severe negative symptoms in schizophrenia.
authors: Department of Mental Disorder Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan. sasayama@shinshu-u.ac.jp
authors: Daimei
authors: D
authors: Sasayama
authors: Kotaro
authors: K
authors: Hattori
authors: Toshiya
authors: T
authors: Teraishi
authors: Hiroaki
authors: H
authors: Hori
authors: Miho
authors: M
authors: Ota
authors: Sumiko
authors: S
authors: Yoshida
authors: Kunimasa
authors: K
authors: Arima
authors: Teruhiko
authors: T
authors: Higuchi
authors: Naoji
authors: N
authors: Amano
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Kunugi
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000188:drug therapy; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013129:Spinal Puncture; D013223:Statistics as Topic
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D010121:Oxytocin