Antioxidant Status in Schizophrenic Patients

Objective: To measure the concentration of total antioxidant status (TAS) in a number of chronic schizophrenic patients and to compare the results with those of healthy controls. Design: Case-control study. Setting: The College of medicine and Al-Salam hospital in Mosul. Method: Twenty patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia, and twenty age and sex-matched healthy volunteers. Total antioxidant status (TAS) was measured in both groups. Result: Mean antioxidant status of the schizophrenic group was 1.15+/-0.39 mmol/l (Range 0.5 to 1.8 mmol/l) while those of the control group, mean was 1.96+/-0.13 mmol/l (Range 1.76 to 2.26 mmol/l). The difference between the two means was statistically significant (P< 0.001). Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that schizophrenic patients have low levels of TAS. It further emphasizes the growing consideration that oxidative damage may occur in schizophrenic patients that exhaust the antioxidant defense of the body leading to low levels of TAS.