Elevated serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in clinically symptomatic schizophrenic males

Impaired antioxidant defenses are suggested to participate in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Altered superoxide dismutase (SOD) and increased lipid peroxidation, measured by the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), are increased in schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of clinical course and subtype on oxidative stress parameters. In this study, 68 male patients, classified according to DSM-IV schizophrenia subtypes and clinical course (partial remission, marked symptoms, and deteriorated), were studied, and TBARS and SOD measured. Mean serum SOD and mean serum TBARS concentrations were similarly not significantly different among different subtypes (paranoid, disorganized and undifferentiated). However, marked symptoms status was associated with higher TBARS levels compared to the deteriorated group. This suggests a possible relationship between symptom acuity and oxidative stress in males.