The relationship between sex hormone profiles and symptoms of schizophrenia in men.

AIM: Recent studies have shown that sex hormones play a role in the development of schizophrenia and the severity of disease symptoms. However, study results have been inconsistent. This study compares the relationship between severity of disease symptoms and levels of estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA-S, prolactin and cortisol in male schizophrenia patients and a matched group of healthy controls. METHODS: The study sample included 38 men diagnosed with schizophrenia according to DSM-IV TR criteria, and matched by age with 38 healthy controls. All subjects were between 18 and 55years old, 22 of them had been treated with olanzapine and 16 with quetiapine. Their symptom severity was evaluated by administering the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS) and Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS). Hormone levels for schizophrenia patients and healthy controls were evaluated using a chemiluminescence immunoassay method. The hormone profiles of schizophrenia patients and healthy controls were compared statistically. We examined the relationship between subjects' and controls' hormone levels and their scores on the SANS and SAPS scales. RESULTS: This study found statistically significant elevated levels of serum DHEA-S, cortisol, and prolactin (p=0.012, p=0.009, and p=0.021 respectively), in schizophrenia patients as compared to a control group. Subjects' serum estradiol and progesterone levels (p=0.005 and p<0.001 respectively), were significantly lower than controls' levels. There was a positive correlation between subjects' SANS scores, estradiol (p=0.001) and progesterone levels (p=0.027). No relationship was found between subjects' hormone levels and their SAPS scores. CONCLUSION: There may be a relationship between progesterone, estradiol, cortisol and DHEA-S, and the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. These hormones can be used as biological markers for the disorder of schizophrenia. More studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these findings.

The prevalence and clinical features of the night eating syndrome in psychiatric out-patient population.

OBJECTIVE: In this study we aimed to investigate the prevalance and clinical correlations of night eating syndrome (NES) in a sample of psychiatric outpatients. METHOD: Four hundred thirthy three consecutive psychiatric out-patients older than 18years were evaluated in the outpatient clinics using clinical interview according to the DSM-IV with regard to psychiatric diagnosis. Participants were also screened for presence of NES utilizing both clinical interview and self report based on Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ) instruments. Sociodemographic and clinical features such as age, gender, education level, socioeconomic level and body mass index (BMI) were also recorded. The Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) and the Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (SCL-90R) were administered. RESULTS: Based on the proposed diagnostic criteria of the NES via utilizing clinical interview method, 97 (32 male, 65 female) of the sample met diagnostic criteria for NES. The point prevalence of NES was 22.4%. No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of age, gender, marital status, education and BMI. The patients with NES had higher NEQ, BSQ and SCL-90R subscale scores than patients without NES. Prevalance of depressive disorder, impulse control disorder, and nicotine dependency was higher among patients with NES. No differences were found with regard to the medication (antipsychotics, antidepressants and mood stabilizers). CONCLUSION: Night eating syndrome is prevalent among psychiatric outpatients and associated with depression, impulse control disorder, and nicotine dependency. Body dissatisfaction and higher symptom severity are also other risk factors for the development of NES.

Could Irisin Levels be Affected by Physical Activity in Patients with Schizophrenia?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the effect of physical activity and metabolic parameters on irisin levels in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. METHODS: Ninety-six patients with schizophrenia and 63 healthy controls comprised the study population. The participants were separated into three groups: inactive, low activity, and sufficiently active according to International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form (IPAQ-SF). We measured irisin levels using Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. We also calculated exercise levels by using the IPAQ-SF for each individual. The independent samples ttest was used in the data analysis to compare irisin levels according to the activity levels of the patients with schizophrenia and controls. RESULTS: The levels of irisin were higher in the healthy controls (p < 0.001) compared to schizophrenia groups. When the activity levels of the schizophrenia and healthy control groups were compared, the irisin levels of the low activity and sufficiently active groups with schizophrenia were found to be lower than those of the low activity and sufficiently active groups in the healthy controls (respectively p = 0.014; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Irisin levels could be affected by physical activity and these results must be supported with new studies.

[Relationship between depression and anger in patients with antisocial personality disorder]. / Antisosyal Kisilik Bozuklugu Olan Hastalarda Ofke ve Depresyonun Iliskisi.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the relationship between aggression and depression in male antisocial patients with and without comorbid depression and in normal control subjects. METHOD: Seventy-two antisocial patients were evaluated for depression using SCID. The antisocial patients were treatment-seeking soldiers, mostly substance use is recruited from military hospitals. The control group consisted of forty age and sex matched subjects. Twenty of these antisocial patients were diagnosed with depressive disorder (major depression or dysthymia). In order to assess aggression and depression the Beck Depression Inventory and the State-Trait Anger Scale (STAS) were used. RESULTS: Antisocial patients with depression and without depression had higher trait anger, anger-in and anger-out scores than the controls. Antisocial patients without comorbid depression had lower scores than the antisocial patients without depression in the anger control subscales of STAS. On the other hand, in this subscale, scores of the antisocial patients with depression did not differ from those of the normal controls. Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between BDI scores and trait anger, anger-in and anger-out scores. CONCLUSION: The result of our study did not fully support the view of depression which assumes that depressive disorder is related to anger and hostility at least in antisocial patients. According to our results higher anger scores and lower anger control scores were related to being antisocial rather than being depressive and also not only suppressed anger but also outwardly expressed anger were increased in depressive antisocial patients.