Plasma levels of D-serine in Brazilian individuals with schizophrenia.
Changes in D-serine availability in the brain may contribute to the hypofunction of NMDA-glutamate receptors in schizophrenia; however, measurements of blood levels of D-serine in individuals with schizophrenia have not been consistent amongst previous studies. Here we studied plasma levels of D-serine and L-serine in 84 Brazilian individuals with schizophrenia and 75 gender- and age-matched controls. Plasma levels of D-serine and the ratio of plasma D-serine to total serine were significantly lower in individuals with schizophrenia as compared to the control group. Levels of D-serine were significantly and negatively correlated to the severity of negative symptoms of schizophrenia. We also observed that plasma levels of D-serine significantly decreased with aging in healthy controls. Our results suggest that the possible role of D-serine in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia should be further investigated, with possible implications for the drug treatment of this disorder.
Serviço de Psiquiatria e Psicologia Médica, Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Marilia A
MA
Calcia
Caroline
C
Madeira
Flavio V
FV
Alheira
Thuany C S
TC
Silva
Filippe M
FM
Tannos
Charles
C
Vargas-Lopes
Nelson
N
Goldenstein
Marco Antonio
MA
Brasil
Sergio T
ST
Ferreira
Rogerio
R
Panizzutti
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood*; D012694:Serine / Q000097:blood*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult
D012694:Serine