SERUM GONADAL-STEROID HORMONES IN YOUNG SCHIZOPHRENIC-PATIENTS

Psychosis is reported to show a later age of onset in women than in me n and its nature and course in women may also differ. The purpose of t his study was to determine if levels of four steroid hormones at the s tart of early onset psychosis differ from the levels of other groups o f young people and if predicted low levels of estrogen (E2) are a feat ure of female psychosis. Two blood samples from 22 young psychotic pat ients were analysed by radioimmunoassay for E2, progesterone (FROG), t estosterone (TE), and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS). Female psychotic patients showed E2 levels lower than matched healthy cycling controls but higher than those on a contraceptive pill; they also sho wed higher TE levels than controls. Male psychotic patients had higher DHEAS levels than healthy or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) subj ects. We suggest that illness-related changes of steroids can be measu red superimposed on medication-induced changes and that lower E2 level s in psychotic women may increase their vulnerability to psychosis. Ch anges of TE in female and DHEAS in male psychotics may be more a conse quence of the illness.