Correlation between impulse, suicidal behavior and plasma leptin in first-episode schizophrenic patients

Abstract

Objective To investigate the correlation between impulse, suicidal behavior and plasma leptin and total cholesterol in first-episode schizophrenic patients. Methods According to their history of suicide and impulse behavior, 106 first-episode schizophrenic patients were divided into 3 groups: suicide group (n=24), impulse group (n=31) and non-suicide-non-impulse group (n=51), and assessed with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD24) and Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), Thirty-two individuals who took part in health examination were selected as health control group. Body mass index (BMI), plasma leptin and total cholesterol were measured from all subjects before taking medication. Results (1) The plasma leptin level was higher in healthy control group[(13.4±6.7) μg/L] than non-suicide-non-impulse group[(8.9±3.8) μg/L], suicide group[(6.7±2.6) μg/L] and impulse group [(5.6±4.2) μg/L; P 0.05). The plasma levels of total cholesterol in healthy control group and non-suicide-non-impulse group were higher than in suicide group and impulse group (P 0.05), and between healthy control group and non-suicide-non-impulse group (P>0.05). (2) In suicide group and impulse group, plasma leptin and total cholesterol were negatively correlated with PANSS positive score, PANSS attack score, BPRS score, HAMD score and BHS score. Plasma leptin and total cholesterol in non-suicide-non-impulse group were negatively correlated with PANSS attack score, BPRS score, HAMD score and BHS score. Conclusion Impulse and suicidal behavior and illness severity of schizophrenic patients may be correlated with plasma leptin and total cholesterol. Key words: Schizophrenia; Impulsive behavior; Suicide; Leptin; Cholesterol