[Specialties of prolactin secretion and peripheral reproductive sex hormones in patients with of first episode of schizophrenia].

Levels of prolactin, estradiol and testosterone have been assessed in 50 first episode drug naive patients with schizophrenia (23 women and 27 men) and 17 mentally healthy people. All patients have been stratified into two groups by sex and into two subgroups by severity of psychopathological symptoms. The levels of prolactin and estradiol were higher in men compared to the control group. In women, the level of estradiol was lower and the level of testosterone was higher regardless of burden of psychopathologic symptoms. The decrease of testosterone level was found in males with acute psychopathologic symptoms. The increase of psychopathologic symptoms leads to lowering of prolactin level regardless of sex that confirms the dopamine theory of schizophrenia. The results of this study confirm the protective role of estrogen in the development of disease.