Plasma homovanillic acid in untreated schizophrenia - relationship with symptomatology and sex

Plasma homovanillic acid (pHVA) concentrations are considered to reflect. i n part. central dopamine metabolism and thus may be of value in assessing t he rule of dopamine neurotransmission in schizophrenia, Furthermore. some r ecent studies have suggested a relationship of pHVA with symptomatology. We have undertaken a study of pHVA in a large cohort of unmedicated DSM-IV sc hizophrenic patients in order to assess the relationship of pHVA to various clinical parameters, pHVA in 58 drug-free patients (10.11 +/-0.52 ng/ml) w as significantly elevated in comparison with 62 matched control subjects (8 .77 +/-0.39 ng/ml). pHVA was found to be higher in patients with a more neg ative syndrome. No significant correlation of pHVA with overall SAPS or SAN S scores was apparent in the patients although, within the SANS subscales. a significant relationship to anhedonia-asociality was apparent. Interestin gly, the male drug-free patients showed a correlation of pHVA with negative symptoms defined by SANS and several SANS subscales. while females showed no significant relationship with any SANS subscales. The results may sugges t that an increased dopaminergic turnover is apparent in (male) schizophren ic patients with predominantly negative symptoms, providing some support fo r reports that this change in neuronal activity may be related to the neuro pathological abnormalities seen in the disease, which may themselves differ between males and females. Such neuronal deficits of developmental or dege nerative origin may thus result in an elevation/disinhibition of central do pamine metabolism in schizophrenia. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All righ ts reserved.