Altered peripheral carbonyl stress markers, high levels of serum
pentosidine, which accumulates following carbonyl stress, and low levels of
pyridoxal (
vitamin B6), which detoxifies reactive carbonyl compounds, have been reported in a cross-sectional study of chronic
schizophrenia. However, changes in the levels of these compounds in patients with
schizophrenia have not been investigated in a longitudinal study. To clarify whether these markers may be
biological markers that reflect the
clinical course of the disease, the serum levels of these compounds were investigated in a cross-sectional and a longitudinal study. One hundred and thirty-seven acute-stage Japanese patients were enrolled. Among these, 53 patients were followed from the acute stage to remission. A portion of patients in the acute stage (14 cases, 10.2%) showed extremely high
pentosidine levels. These levels were not associated with the severity of symptoms but were associated with
antipsychotic dose amounts.
Pyridoxal levels were lower in
schizophrenia and increased according to the
clinical course of the illness. Furthermore, 18 patients with decreased
pyridoxal levels according to the
clinical course showed that the greater the decrease in
pyridoxal levels, the lesser the improvement in symptoms. Thus, extremely high
pentosidine levels in a portion of patients may be caused by higher daily
antipsychotic doses, whereas
pyridoxal levels were lower in
schizophrenia and increased according to the
clinical course. Patients with decreasing
pyridoxal levels during the
clinical course showed less improvement in symptoms. Carbonyl stress markers may also be therapeutic
biological markers in some patients with
schizophrenia.