Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of Medical Science, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Chungju, Korea.
Psychiatry Investig. 2011 Jun;8(2):134-40. doi: 10.4306/pi.2011.8.2.134. Epub 2011 Jan 20.
This study was conducted to confirm the results of the authors' previous research on schizophrenia manifesting high serum homocysteine and low folate levels. This study is anchored on a theory that a high serum homocysteine concentration affects schizophrenia by virtue of a neurotoxic mechanism, and on a report that some schizophrenia patients with high homocysteine levels benefited from high folate ingestion.
The serum homocysteine, folate, and vitamin B(12) levels of 236 normal-control-group subjects and 234 schizophrenia subjects who met the diagnostic criteria based on DSM-IV-TR were compared. The homocysteine levels were measured via fluorescence polarization immunoassay, and the folate and vitamin B(12) levels were determined via radioimmunoassay.
The homocysteine levels of the patient group were significantly higher than those of the normal control group. The homocysteine level was more negatively correlated with the folate level in the schizophrenia group than in the control group. The percentages of female and male schizophrenia subjects manifesting high homocysteine levels were 33.8 and 51.5%, respectively. The percentage of schizophrenia subjects with low folate levels was 66.2%. In the low- and normal-folate-level groups, the patient group showed significantly higher homocysteine levels than the normal control group. The low-folate-level patient group particularly showed significantly higher homocysteine levels than the low-folate-level normal control group.
Some schizophrenia patients with high serum homocysteine levels may have the genetic defect of having low folate serum levels. In such cases, folate ingestion may be a good management modality for clinical improvement.
本研究旨在证实作者先前关于精神分裂症患者血清同型半胱氨酸水平升高和叶酸水平降低的研究结果。本研究基于以下理论：高血清同型半胱氨酸浓度通过神经毒性机制影响精神分裂症，并且有报道称一些高同型半胱氨酸水平的精神分裂症患者受益于高叶酸摄入。
比较了 236 名正常对照组和 234 名符合 DSM-IV-TR 诊断标准的精神分裂症患者的血清同型半胱氨酸、叶酸和维生素 B12 水平。同型半胱氨酸水平通过荧光偏振免疫测定法测量，叶酸和维生素 B12 水平通过放射免疫测定法确定。
患者组的同型半胱氨酸水平明显高于正常对照组。同型半胱氨酸水平与精神分裂症组叶酸水平的相关性比对照组更负。表现为高同型半胱氨酸水平的女性和男性精神分裂症患者的比例分别为 33.8%和 51.5%。叶酸水平低的精神分裂症患者的比例为 66.2%。在低叶酸和正常叶酸水平组中，患者组的同型半胱氨酸水平明显高于正常对照组。低叶酸水平的患者组的同型半胱氨酸水平明显高于低叶酸水平的正常对照组。
一些血清同型半胱氨酸水平升高的精神分裂症患者可能存在血清叶酸水平低的遗传缺陷。在这种情况下，叶酸摄入可能是改善临床症状的一种良好管理方式。
