Increased levels of nitric oxide, cortisol and adrenomedullin in patients with chronic schizophrenia

ABSTRACT

To investigate the levels of serum cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate [DHEA-S], nitric oxide [NO] and adrenomedullin [AM] in schizophrenic patients. Sixty-six male patients with chronic schizophrenia and 28 normal male subjects participated in this study. The duration of disease was 145 +/- 120 [mean +/- SD] months. Serum levels of cortisol and DHEA-S were measured by electrochemiluminescence; plasma nitrite levels as an index of NO were measured with the Griess reaction, while plasma AM concentration was measured by using high-performance liquid chromatography. Patients [12.48 +/- 3.2 micro g/dl], as compared to controls [10.31 +/- 3.1 micro g/dl], had higher levels of baseline cortisol [p < 0.05]. DHEA-S levels were lower in patients though this did not reach statistical significance [302 +/- 156 micro g/dl compared to control, 322 +/- 96 micro g/dl, p > 0.05]. The mean levels of plasma AM and NO in the schizophrenic group [44.33 +/- 5.07 pmol/l and 36.27 +/- 17.6 micro mol/l] were significantly higher than the levels in the control group [14.56 +/- 4.03 pmol/l and 32.54 +/- 7.14 micro mol/l; p < 0.001, p < 0.03, respectively]. There was a positive association between duration of disease and cortisol/DHEA-S ratio and cortisol level. The data show that schizophrenia is associated with abnormal levels of cortisol, DHEA-S, NO and AM