title: Oxytocin and vasopressin levels are decreased in the plasma of male schizophrenia patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Impaired social functioning and autistic symptoms are characteristics of schizophrenia. The social hormones oxytocin (OT) and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) both modulate social interaction and therefore may be involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. We investigated whether men with schizophrenia show altered OT and AVP levels compared with healthy controls (HC) and whether autism symptoms are associated with OT levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-one men with non-acute schizophrenia and 45 matched HC were enrolled. Schizophrenia was assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Blood samples were collected on 2 days, and plasma OT and AVP levels were measured by ELISA immunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The schizophrenia patients had significantly lower plasma OT levels than the HC; a similar trend was found for AVP. Plasma OT levels were associated with severe life events, fewer important attached persons, and a higher score on the PANSS negative scale; the most dominant PANSS items were 'preoccupation', 'emotional withdrawal', and 'passive/apathetic social withdrawal'.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings support an association between the social hormones OT and AVP and schizophrenia. We suggest that OT metabolism may be altered in schizophrenia, but other possible causes for decreased plasma OT levels in schizophrenia patients include decreased OT synthesis, mRNA expression, and translation. Especially the 'autistic' symptoms of schizophrenia seem to be closely linked to an altered metabolism of OT, the 'attachment' hormone.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy,Ludwig Maximilian University,Munich,Germany.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jobst
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy,Ludwig Maximilian University,Munich,Germany.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dehning
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy,Ludwig Maximilian University,Munich,Germany.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ruf
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy,Ludwig Maximilian University,Munich,Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Notz
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology,University of Innsbruck,Innsbruck,Austria.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buchheim
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy,Ludwig Maximilian University,Munich,Germany.
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Henning-Fast
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy,Ludwig Maximilian University,Munich,Germany.
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Meißner
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy,Ludwig Maximilian University,Munich,Germany.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy,Ludwig Maximilian University,Munich,Germany.
authors.forename: Brigitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bondy
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy,Ludwig Maximilian University,Munich,Germany.
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy,Ludwig Maximilian University,Munich,Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zill
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000097:blood*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014667:Vasopressins; D010121:Oxytocin