COMPARISONS OF MORPHOLOGY AND GROWTH-RATE BETWEEN CELLS FROM SKIN BIOPSIES OF SCHIZOPHRENIC-PATIENTS AND THOSE FROM NORMAL INDIVIDUALS

Skin biopsies have been used to establish cell cultures from ten schiz ophrenic individuals and ten controls. Studies of the time of outgrowt h of different cell types from the tissue fragments and the subsequent growth rates and morphology showed no difference between the primary cultures from the schizophrenic patients and controls. The primary cul tures were trypsinized and grown for three passages before storing in liquid nitrogen. No difference between cell strains established from s chizophrenic skin donors and cell strains from healthy controls was no ted in this phase of growth. Aliquots of cells were thawed out from li quid nitrogen, grown for one passage and then the cell aggregation rat e was tested. No difference was found between cells from schizophrenic skin donors and cells from controls. Differences between the two cell strains established from certain individuals did occur, suggesting th at morphology and growth rates should be noted before cell strains are used for further studies.