RED-CELL MEMBRANE FATTY-ACIDS, CYTOSOLIC PHOSPHOLIPASE-A2 AND SCHIZOPHRENIA

Forty subjects with schizophrenia and 40 age- and sex-matched controls were recruited, and blood samples were obtained for analysis of red c ell membrane fatty acid composition by capillary gas chromatography. A blood sample was also taken from the same population to test for alle lic association between schizophrenia and a polymorphism close to the promoter site of the cytosolic phospholipase-A2 gene which is mapped t o chromosome 1q25. The schizophrenic population was heterogeneous with regards age,symptom severity and treatment. A significantly higher pe rcentage concentration of dihomogamma-linolenic acid (DGLA) was found in the red cell membranes of schizophrenics compared to matched contro ls. All other fatty acids examined showed no difference from the norma l population. No correlation was found between any demographic factor, treatment variable, diet, drug use, alcohol or tobacco consumption wh ich could explain the biochemical findings. A negative correlation was found between the concentration of DGLA in red blood cell (RBC) membr anes and severity of symptoms of schizophrenia. In particular, there w as a significant correlation (r = - 0.41, p = 0.009) between DGLA perc entage concentrations and 'disorganised' symptoms. No association was found between schizophrenia and alleles of the polymorphism near the p hospholipase-A2 gene or between fatty acid concentrations and the pres ence of any particular alleles. This study therefore finds support for membrane phospholipid abnormalities in patients with schizophrenia an d particular symptom clusters, but does not replicate a previous repor t of an allelic association between a polymorphism close to the site o f the cytosolic phospholipase-A2 gene and schizophrenia. (C) 1998 Else vier Science B.V. All rights reserved.