Studies of trans-3-methyl-2-hexenoic acid in normal and schizophrenic humans.

The report that sweat of certain schizophrenics contains the branched chain fatty acid, trans-3-methyl-2-hexenoic acid (TMHA), stimulated an investigation to evaluate the relationship between this fatty acid and schizophrenia. A sensitive and specific gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopic procedure was developed for analyzing biological fluids for TMHA. Analysis of sweat samples from normal and schizophrenic subjects indicated that the sweat of both groups contains comparable quantities of this fatty acid. In addition, the fate of intravenously administered (14)C-labeled TMHA was shown to be similar in normal and schizophrenic subjects. It is concluded that there is no relationship between TMHA and schizophrenia.