Background: Our objective was to investigate the association of
CYP2D6 polymorphisms with
symptoms and side-effects of patients with schizophrenia.
Methods: The subjects were 156 patients with schizophrenia undergoing antipsychotic treatment
at a psychiatric clinic. Patients with co-morbid diagnoses of substance abuse or mental retardation were
excluded from the study. Psychopathology was evaluated using the Positive and Negative Symptoms
Scale (PANSS). Extrapyramidal side-effects and akathisia were assessed with the Simpson Angus Scale
(SAS) and the Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale (BARS), respectively. DNA was extracted from blood and
subjected to PCR-genotyping.
Results: We found that
CYP2D6 polymorphisms were significantly associated with a subtotal
negative PANSS score. In addition,
CYP2D6 is not related to side-effects of antipsychotic therapy, or
SAS and BARS scores. The results suggest that
CYP2D6 polymorphisms may have implications in
treatment response.
Conclusions: Therefore,
CYP2D6 may be a predictor for treatment outcomes of patients with
schizophrenia. However, further investigation is required to confirm these findings in a larger sample.