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Small Intestine Permeability in Schizophrenia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

M. Timothy Lambert*
Affiliation:
Northwick Park Hospital and Clinical Research Centre, Harrow, Academic Department of Psychiatry, St Mary's Hospital Medical School, London
Ingvar Bjarnason
Affiliation:
Section of Gastroenterology, Division of Clinical Sciences, Clinical Research Centre, Harrow
James B. Connelly
Affiliation:
Northwick Park Hospital and Clinical Research Centre, St Mary's Hospital, London
Timothy J. Crow
Affiliation:
Northwick Park Hospital and Clinical Research Centre, Harrow
Eve C. Johnstone
Affiliation:
Northwick Park Hospital and Clinical Research Centre, Harrow
Timothy J. Peters
Affiliation:
Clinical Research Centre, Harrow
Paul Robert Smethurst
Affiliation:
Division of Clinical Sciences, Clinical Research Centre, Harrow
*
Academic Department of Psychiatry, St Mary's Hospital Medical School, London W2

Abstract

Gastrointestinal permeability was assessed by means of absorption of 51Cr-labelled EDTA in 24 patients with schizophrenia (12 in relapse and 12 in remission). The results were compared with those for patients with coeliac disease and those for normal controls. Significant differences between the schizophrenic patients and the normal controls were not established. The results for the schizophrenic patients in remission were no different from those for the patients in relapse, and there was no evidence from the study of an effect on gastrointestinal permeability of either anticholinergic or antidepressant medication. It is concluded that schizophrenia is, at least in the majority of cases, unrelated to coeliac disease.

Type
Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1989 

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