Serum and mucopolysaccharide (glycosaminoglycans) levels in psychiatric patients.

Serum acid glycosaminoglycans (GAG) levels were measured in 50 normals and 177 samples from different types of psychiatric patients. Mean levels were significantly higher in paranoid type schizophrenia, organic brain syndrome associated psychosis and manic type manic-depressive psychosis. The levels returned to slightly above the normal range upon partial remission in paranoid schizophrenics. In catatonic and hebephrenic schizophrenias the values were in the upper part of normal range. The levels were either in upper normal range or slightly higher in non-psychotic organic brain syndrome. In depressed type manic depressive psychosis levels were either lower than normal or in the lower part of normal range.