Correlations between biochemical and clinical parameters in patients at risk for schizophrenia spectrum disorders

Abstract

Integrated clinical and biological approach to the early detection of attenuated psychotic symptoms within the frames of affective disorders makes it possible to detect the initial stage of the psychosis development and begin timely therapeutic intervention. The aim of the study was to evaluate the activity of glutamate, glutathione, and energy metabolism enzymes in the blood of patients who are at risk for the development of schizophrenia and to search for clinical and biological correlations. Clinical, psychometric (SOPS and HDRS-21), and biochemical examinations were made in 60 young men aged 16–25 years belonging to the risk group for the development of schizophrenia and in 21 young men from the comparison group without signs of risk of schizophrenia. The control group consisted of 25 healthy young men aged 19–25 years. The activities of cytochrome c oxidase, glutamate dehydrogenase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione-S-transferase were determined in platelets and erythrocytes. Decreased activities of platelet glutamate dehydrogenase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione-S-transferase were observed in all groups of examined patients compared with the control group. In erythrocytes, changed activities of glutathione reductase were observed only in the group of patients without attenuated psychotic symptoms, and glutathione-S-transferase — in the group of patients with attenuated symptoms. The revealed correlations between biochemical and clinical parameters differed in the examined groups of patients. The obtained results reflect the features of the pathogenic mechanisms in the schizophrenia risk group in terms of the activity levels of blood enzymes involved in glutamate, energy, and glutathione metabolism.