Unconjugated bilirubin and acute psychosis: a five years retrospective observational and controlled study in patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective and bipolar disorders.

Unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) high levels have been correlated with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. We searched for correlation between UCB mean levels, duration of psychiatric admission, and diagnosis in 255 individuals, including 56 healthy controls and 199 acute patients (namely 44 with schizophrenia, 99 with schizoaffective disorder and 56 with bipolar disorder). We found a statistically significant difference between UCB mean levels of patients with schizophrenia versus patients with schizoaffective (0.41 mg/dL vs. 0.34 mg/dL;  < .03) and bipolar disorders (0,41 mg/dL vs. 0.29mg/dL;  < .0001). We also found a statistically significant difference between UCB mean levels of patients with schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder (0.34 mg/dL vs. 0.28;  < .04). We also found a significant difference ( < .001) between mean admission duration of schizophrenia (29 days) versus bipolar patients (16 days). Although in a non-significant manner, the schizoaffective group got a mean admission duration value (22 days) right in between the schizophrenia and the bipolar patients. Our results deserve further research to access the role UCB may have in the physiopathology of acute patients with schizophrenia/schizoaffective/bipolar spectrum disorders.KeypointsUnconjugated Bilirubin (UCB) high levels are correlated with acute psychosis.UCB high levels are correlated with duration of psychiatric admission.UCB mean levels of schizophrenic patients are higher than schizoaffective patients.UCB mean levels of schizoaffective patients are higher than bipolar patients.