Ward P E, Sutherland J, Glen E M, Glen A I
Craig Dunain Hospital, Inverness, UK.
Schizophr Res. 1998 Feb 9;29(3):269-74. doi: 10.1016/s0920-9964(97)00100-x.
The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate a potential skin test for schizophrenia based on the effect of aqueous methyl nicotinate (AMN) on the production of prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) from skin macrophages and the resultant cutaneous capillary vasodilatation. Four concentrations of AMN were applied topically to the forearm skin in patients and controls, and any resulting vasodilatation was rated as redness after 5 min. The test was carried out on 38 patients with schizophrenia diagnosed according to DSM-III-R criteria, and 22 normal control subjects. At all concentrations of AMN, the schizophrenics were highly significantly different from the controls. One concentration gave the greatest degree of differentiation: at this concentration at 5 min, 83% of schizophrenics but only 23% of controls had a zero or minimal response to AMN. The skin flushing seen after oral administration of nicotinic acid is due to the same reaction, and this has been normal in those with affective illness and neurosis; cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors, e.g., aspirin, give a false-positive result (failure of vasodilatation). This result is consistent with the concept of reduced membrane arachidonic acid levels in schizophrenia. This test may contribute to the reliable diagnosis of schizophrenia.
这项初步研究的目的是基于烟酸甲酯水溶液（AMN）对皮肤巨噬细胞前列腺素D2（PGD2）生成以及由此产生的皮肤毛细血管血管舒张的影响，评估一种针对精神分裂症的潜在皮肤测试。将四种浓度的AMN局部应用于患者和对照组的前臂皮肤，5分钟后将任何由此产生的血管舒张评定为发红。对38名根据DSM-III-R标准诊断为精神分裂症的患者和22名正常对照受试者进行了该测试。在所有浓度的AMN下，精神分裂症患者与对照组有极显著差异。一种浓度产生了最大程度的区分：在此浓度下5分钟时，83%的精神分裂症患者对AMN的反应为零或最小，而对照组中只有23%。口服烟酸后出现的皮肤潮红是由于相同的反应，而这在情感性疾病和神经症患者中是正常的；环氧化酶抑制剂，如阿司匹林，会给出假阳性结果（血管舒张失败）。这一结果与精神分裂症中膜花生四烯酸水平降低的概念一致。该测试可能有助于精神分裂症的可靠诊断。
