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Oxytocin and vasopressin levels are decreased in the plasma of male schizophrenia patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 October 2013

Andrea Jobst ,
Sandra Dehning ,
Simone Ruf ,
Tobias Notz ,
Anna Buchheim ,
Kristina Henning-Fast ,
Dominik Meißner ,
Sebastian Meyer ,
Brigitta Bondy  and
Norbert Müller
...Show all authors
Andrea Jobst*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
Sandra Dehning
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
Simone Ruf
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
Tobias Notz
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
Anna Buchheim
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
Kristina Henning-Fast
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
Dominik Meißner
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
Sebastian Meyer
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
Brigitta Bondy
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
Norbert Müller
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
Peter Zill
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
*
Andrea Jobst, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336 Munich, Germany.Tel: +49 89 44005 5331; Fax: +49 89 44005 4548; E-mail: A.Jobst@med.uni-muenchen.de
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Abstract

Objective

Impaired social functioning and autistic symptoms are characteristics of schizophrenia. The social hormones oxytocin (OT) and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) both modulate social interaction and therefore may be involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. We investigated whether men with schizophrenia show altered OT and AVP levels compared with healthy controls (HC) and whether autism symptoms are associated with OT levels.

Methods

Forty-one men with non-acute schizophrenia and 45 matched HC were enroled. Schizophrenia was assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Blood samples were collected on 2 days, and plasma OT and AVP levels were measured by ELISA immunoassay.

Results

The schizophrenia patients had significantly lower plasma OT levels than the HC; a similar trend was found for AVP. Plasma OT levels were associated with severe life events, fewer important attached persons, and a higher score on the PANSS negative scale; the most dominant PANSS items were ‘preoccupation’, ‘emotional withdrawal’, and ‘passive/apathetic social withdrawal’.

Conclusion

These findings support an association between the social hormones OT and AVP and schizophrenia. We suggest that OT metabolism may be altered in schizophrenia, but other possible causes for decreased plasma OT levels in schizophrenia patients include decreased OT synthesis, mRNA expression, and translation. Especially the ‘autistic’ symptoms of schizophrenia seem to be closely linked to an altered metabolism of OT, the ‘attachment’ hormone.

Keywords

attachmentoxytocinschizophreniasocial deficitsvasopressin
Type
Original Articles
Information
Acta Neuropsychiatrica , Volume 26 , Issue 6 , December 2014 , pp. 347 - 355
Copyright
© Scandinavian College of Neuropsychopharmacology 2014 

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Footnotes

The authors A.J. and S.D. contributed equally to this paper

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