A three-month longitudinal study of changes in day/night serum total antioxidant capacity in paranoid schizophrenia.

Free radicals and an oxidant/antioxidant imbalance have been involved in the schizophrenia pathophysiology. The total antioxidant capacity (TAC) is a measure of the antioxidant capacity of a system. Day/night changes are a biological characteristic of hormones such as melatonin or cortisol. There is little information about TAC day/night changes in schizophrenia patients. The aim of this research is to study if there are day/night changes in serum TAC levels of schizophrenia patients. Thirty-two DSM-IV schizophrenia paranoid patients were studied. Blood was sampled at 12:00 and 00:00 h at admission, discharge and three months after hospital discharge (TMAHD). TAC results are expressed as mmol of Trolox/L. Patients did not have day/night TAC differences at admission (12:00: 0.67±0.12 vs. 00:00: 0.61±0.14, p>0.14) or discharge (12:00: 0.65±0.15 vs. 00:00: 0.65±0.12, p>0.99). At TMHD, patients had significantly higher TAC levels at midday than midnight (12:00: 0.83±0.10 vs. 00:00: 0.74±0.12, p<0.006) as it has been reported in healthy subjects. There were no significant TAC differences at 12.00 and 00:00 between admission and discharge. At TMAHD, patients had significantly higher TAC levels than at admission and discharge, both at 12:00 and 00:00 h. In conclusion, the absence of day/night serum TAC changes when clinically relapsed and the normalization of day/night serum TAC changes at TMHD can be considered as a biological marker of schizophrenia evolution

Phylogenetic tree of ACCs in <i>C</i>. <i>elegans</i> and parasitic nematode species.

<p>A maximum likelihood tree made from predicted protein sequences identified using <i>C</i>. <i>elegans</i> (cel) ACCs as BLAST queries for similar sequences in <i>Haemonchus contortus</i> (Hco), <i>Ancylostoma ceylanicum</i> (Ace), <i>Necator americanus</i> (Nam), <i>Strongyloides ratti</i> (Sra), <i>Brugia malayi</i> (Bma), <i>Wuchereria bancrofti</i> (Wba), <i>Loa loa</i> (Llo), <i>Ascaris suum</i> (Asu), <i>Trichuris suis</i> (Tsu), <i>Trichuris trichiura</i> (Ttr), and <i>Trichinella spiralis</i> (Tsp). Bootstrap values out of 100 are indicated at ACC clade-defining branches. The tree was rooted to the α1 subunit of the torpedo nicotinic AChR [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0138804#pone.0138804.ref081" target="_blank">81</a>]. Representative subunits from other <i>C</i>. <i>elegans</i> chloride-selective pLGIC clades (LGC-50, LGC-51, LGC-52, MOD-1, EXP-1, AVR-15, GAB-1, and GGR-2) were also included to ensure that predicted ACC orthologs from other species grouped with the celACCs instead of other <i>C</i>. <i>elegans</i> chloride channels. Inset: Phylogenetic relationship of nematodes species. Branch lengths are approximate.</p

Comparison of the demographic and clinical variables of both patients’ samples.

<p>Quantitative data are given as mean ± SD. Qualitative data are given as absolute frequency.</p

Bonferroni’s multiple comparisons of serum TAC levels.

<p>Day/night comparisons: a vs b, p: ns; c vs d, p: ns; e vs f, p < 0.006. Serum TAC levels comparisons of at the three time points in patients at midday and midnight: a vs c, p: ns; a vs e, p < 0.05; c vs e, p < 0.05; b vs d, p: ns; b vs f, p < 0.05; d vs f, p < 0.05.</p

Comparison of TAC concentrations at 12:00 and 00:00 between patients and the control group.

<p>Comparison of TAC concentrations at 12:00 and 00:00 between patients and the control group.</p