Diagnostic performance of Ceruloplasmin, an antioxidant in obsessive–compulsive disorder

Abstract

Objective:Various psychological, social, genetic, biochemical, factors are to be involved in the etiology of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)(1). Some molecules of free radicals are also found to play role in OCD(2). In the present study, we compared ceruloplasmin and total sulphydryl(SH) levels as antioxidants in the plasma of OCD patients and controls and evaulated the diagnostic performance of those meausures.Method:26 only OCD, 9 co-morbid OCD patients from Gaziantep University Sahinbey Research Hospital, Psychiatry Clinic, diagnosed according to the DSM IV criteria and 40 healthy volunteer controls were included. Blood samples were collected; ceruloplasmin and SH levels were measured. The mean levels of measures were compared within groups and ROC curves were drawn in order to see the diagnostic performance of biochemical markers.Results:The mean ceruloplasmin levels in only OCD patients, co-morbid OCD patients and control group persons were 544.46±26.53μmol/dl, 424.43±31.50μmol/dl and 222.35±8.88μmol/dl respectively. The mean SH levels in only OCD patients, co-morbid OCD patients and control group persons were 0.47±0.006μmol/L, 0.48±0.01μmol/L and 0.46±0.003μmol/L respectively. The mean ceruloplasmin levels were significantly higher in only OCD and Co-morbid OCD patients than those of controls. (p 0.01). OCD can be predicted for ceruloplasmin over 342.85 level with %87.5 sensitivity and %100 specifity.Conclusions:Elevated serum ceruloplasmin levels may play a role in OCD by exacerbating or perpetuating dopaminergic dysregulation as in schizophrenia(3). Ceruloplasmin levels may be used in OCD diagnosis.