COMPARISON OF SERUM LIPIDS LEVELS IN SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENT WITH HEALTHY SUBJECTS

Previous investigations suggest that the limibic corical region is involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. On the other hand reduced inhibitory GABAergic tone in these areas may contribute to the appearance of schizophrenic symptoms. Super infusion of 25-OH cholesterol increases the peak amplitude of the GABAA IPSP and that cholesetrol partly mimics the effect of 25-OH cholesterol. The aim of present investigation was to elucidate whether serum concentrations of total cholesterol, LDL-, HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides differ in schizophrenic from normal subjects. Forty-nine male schizophrenic patients admitted to the Ebne Sina Hospital in Shiraz were examined based on DSM_IV and clinical criteria before treatment, during treatment and after recovery. Serum concentration of total cholesterol, LDL-, HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides were assayed by RA1000 method. The results showed that the serum concentrations of total and LDL-cholesterol were significantly (p<0.05) lower than the control values in the corresponding stages of the study. However, the serum concentrations of HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides at all stages of treatment were shown not significantly (p>0.05) different from normal subjects. It is deduced that changes in the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides may be altered in schizophrenia and remained so even after recovery.