Discrimination between schizophrenic and control subjects by means of plasma dehydroepiandrosterone measurements.

In this study we were able to distinguish 10 schizophrenic subjects from 10 control subjects with 100% accuracy by measuring plasma dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) diurnal rhythms and analyzing the data using a linear function equation. Discrimination with this high level of accuracy is in contrast to most studies of altered biological functioning in schizophrenia which have yielded inconsistent results. These findings are regarded as preliminary; further study is necessary to elicit any consistent DHEA disturbance in schizophrenics and to discover the significance for the pathophysiology of the illness. Measurements of plasma cortisol, aldosterone, DHEA-SO4, and testosterone did not provide such a basis for discrimination.