title: β-hydroxybutyrate, pyruvate and metabolic profiles in patients with schizophrenia: A case control study.
abstract: The disturbances of β-hydroxybutyrate (β-HB) and pyruvate are linked with impaired brain energy utilization which involves in the psychopathology of schizophrenia. This study investigates the difference in levels of β-HB and pyruvate between patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls, and explores their relationship with metabolic profiles and disease characteristics. We recruited 54 physically-health schizophrenic patients and 54 age- and gender-matched healthy control subjects. Blood samples were gathered to determine the serum levels of β-HB and pyruvate and plasma levels of metabolic profiles, including fasting glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high- and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and adiponectin. The disease characteristics and psychopathology of patients with schizophrenia were assessed by using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Of patients with schizophrenia, serum levels of β-HB were significantly correlated with fasting glucose (p=0.007) and triglycerides (p=0.021). Pyruvate was significantly correlated with fasting glucose (p=0.018), total cholesterol (p=0.005), triglycerides (p=0.014) and LDL-C (p=0.006). After controlling the metabolic profiles, β-HB was still significantly higher in schizophrenia patients than in controls (p<0.001), but no difference in pyruvate was observed. Neither β-HB nor pyruvate was significantly correlated with disease characteristics. However, pyruvate was higher in patients treated with olanzapine or clozapine than in those treated with other antipsychotics (p=0.048). Findings suggest that schizophrenic patients had significantly higher serum levels of β-HB than control subjects, possibly reflecting higher demands in energy utilization. Serum levels of β-HB, rather than pyruvate, may act as a potential indicator of energy utilization impairment for schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Chi
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Institute for Translational Research in Biomedical Sciences, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pao-Yen
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Linkuo Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Ching
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Kaohsiung Municipal Kai-Syuan Psychiatric Hospital, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Su-Ting
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chi-Fa
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chien-Chih
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Mian-Yoon
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chieh-Hsin
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, No.123, Ta-Pei Road, 83301 Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Chinese Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan. Electronic address: wangliangjen@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Liang-Jen
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055442:Metabolome; D008875:Middle Aged; D019289:Pyruvic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D019289:Pyruvic Acid; D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid
keywords: Biomarker; Glucose; Ketone body; Metabolic syndrome; Metabolite; Schizophrenia