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Platelet and serum calcium and magnesium concentration in suicidal and non‐suicidal schizophrenic patients
Author(s) -
Ruljancic Nedjeljka,
Mihanovic Mate,
Cepelak Ivana,
Bakliza Ana
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1111/pcn.12038
Subject(s) - platelet , medicine , magnesium , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , serotonin , chemistry , calcium , endocrinology , neurotransmitter , psychiatry , central nervous system , receptor , organic chemistry
Aim The main processes modulated by C a and involved in the cause of schizophrenia are alteration in the dopamine and glutamate neurotransmitter system. Intracellular effects of M g‐ions are opposite to C a‐ions in competition at K ‐ion channels, in Na/K‐ATP ‐ase activity, cAMP/cGMP concentration and C a‐ion currents in pre‐ and postsynaptic membranes. We conducted this research due to the incongruent results on C a and M g concentration that have been published until now and to determine platelet M g concentration in suicidal and non‐suicidal schizophrenic patients. Methods A group of schizophrenic patients consisted of 23 patients with attempted suicide ( S ‐ SCH ) and 48 patients without suicidal behavior ( K ‐ SCH ) diagnosed according to ICD‐10 diagnosis ( F 20.0) with or without intentional self‐harm ( X 60– X 84). The control group ( K ) included 99 healthy voluntary blood donors. The M g and C a concentration in platelets and serum was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry on the AA nalyst 200. Results Using one‐way anova test and manifold application of the Student–Newman–Keuls post‐hoc test we established that there were higher concentrations of platelet M g (μmol/109 platelets) ( P = 0.009, F = 4.89) and lower concentrations of serum C a (mmol/L) ( P < 0.001, F = 19.18) in the S ‐ SCH group of patients and higher concentrations of platelet C a/ M g ratio in the K ‐ SCH group of patients ( P = 0.006, F = 5.37). Conclusion A higher C a/ M g ratio in the platelets of non‐suicidal patients confirms indirect higher C a concentration. Higher M g concentration in the platelets of suicidal patients, considered a C a antagonist, may represent a compensatory attempt to restrain C a activity.