Red blood cell/plasma lithium ratio in manic-depressive, schizoaffective, and schizophrenic patients.

The red blood cell/plasma lithium ratio (LR) has been studied in 14 schizophrenic (paranoid type), 22 schizoaffective, and 86 manic-depressive patients. Mean LR proved to be significantly higher in manic-depressive patients (p less than 0.001) as compared to the other two groups which on the other hand did not differ significantly from each other. There was no significant difference in the LR between female and male patients. Analyzing the LR according to family history and subtype of illness (i.e., bipolar I/bipolar II dichotomization) of 86 manic-depressive patients we found that neither sex nor type of illness had consistent influence on LR, but patients with positive family history of affective illness had a significantly higher LR than patients with negative ones (p less than 0.01).