Plasma levels of D-serine in Brazilian individuals with schizophrenia

Abstract

Changes in D-serine availability in the brain may contribute to the hypofunction of NMDA-glutamate receptors in schizophrenia; however, measurements of blood levels of D-serine in individuals with schizophrenia have not been consistent amongst previous studies. Here we studied plasma levels of D-serine and L-serine in 84 Brazilian individuals with schizophrenia and 75 gender- and age-matched controls. Plasma levels of D-serine and the ratio of plasma D-serine to total serine were significantly lower in individuals with schizophrenia as compared to the control group. Levels of D-serine were significantly and negatively correlated to the severity of negative symptoms of schizophrenia. We also observed that plasma levels of D-serine significantly decreased with aging in healthy controls. Our results suggest that the possible role of D-serine in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia should be further investigated, with possible implications for the drug treatment of this disorder.