Serum cobalamin and red cell folate levels of anti-psychotic treatment and treatment naïve psychiatic patients in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria

Peer review under responsibility of Alexandria University Faculty of Medicine.

Available online 14 September 2017

Figures & data

Table 1 Sociodemographic characteristics of respondents.

Variables	Psychotropic Naïve	Respondents on psychotropics	Control respondents
	Frequency n (%)	Frequency n (%)	Frequency n (%)
Age group
18–40	34 (51.5)	31 (47.0)	33 (50.0)
41–60	30 (45.5)	35 (53.0)	31 (47.0)
>60	2 (3.0)	0 (0.0)	2 (3.0)
Sex
Male	38 (57.6)	32 (48.5)	35 (53.0)
Female	28 (42.4)	34 (51.5)	31 (47.0)

Table 2 Psychiatric diagnoses of participants (Drug-naïve and those on treatment).

Diagnoses	Drug-naïve subjects (%)	Subjects on anti-psychotics (%)
1. Schizophrenia	86.50	91.00
2. Depressive illness	6.10	4.50
3. Substance use disorder	3.00	4.50
4. Mania	3.00	–
5. Dementia	1.50	–

Table 3 Comparing serum cobalamin and red cell folate of anti-psychotic naïve subjects with that of the control.

Variables	Subjects	Control	T	df	p-value
	Mean ± SD	Mean ± SD	Statistics
Cobalamin (pmol/L)	160.79 ± 1.17	160.77 ± 0.89	0.1105	130	0.9122
	140.2–180.5	141.3–179.1
Folate (nmol/L)	350.23 ± 0.54	370.07 ± 0.51	217	130	0.0001
	350.5–380	357.1–378.5

Table 4 Comparing serum cobalamin and red cell folate of subjects on anti-psychotic with that of the control.

Variables	Subjects	Control	T	df	p-value
	Mean ± SD	Mean ± SD	Statistics
Cobalamin (pmol/L)	160.84 ± 0.73	160.77 ± 0.89	0.4940	130	0.6221
	140.2–180.5	141.3–179.1
Folate (nmol/L)	370.17 ± 0.70	370.07 ± 0.51	0.938	130	0.35
	350.5–380	357.1–378.5

Table 5 Comparison of mean values of parameters in the 3 groups (Analysis of Variance – ANOVA).

Parameters	Study groups	n	Mean ± SD	df	F-test	P-value
Cobalamin (pmol/l)	Control	66	16.77 ± 0.89
	Naive	66	16.79 ± 1.17	2	0.45	0.641
	Treatment	66	16.84 ± 0.73
Folate (nmol/l)	Control	66	37.07 ± 0.51
	Naïve	66	35.23 ± 0.54	2	6.71	0.002
	Treatment	66	37.17 ± 0.70

Table 6 Logistic regression of factors predicting Serum Cobalamin and red cell folate levels.

Haemogram	Variables	P-value	Odds ratio	95% confidence interval
MCH	Serum cobalamin	0.538	1.31	0.559–3.046
	Red cell folate	0.464	1.20	0.738–1.945
MCHC	Serum cobalamin	0.351	1.48	0.653–3.315
	Red cell folate	0.226	1.28	0.860–1.900
MCV	Serum cobalamin	0.284	0.84	0.604–1.158
	Red cell folate	0.784	1.02	0.883–1.179
PCV	Serum cobalamin	0.247	1.52	0.749–3.081
	Red cell folate	0.057	1.47	0.989–2.193
Platelet count	Serum cobalamin	0.318	0.96	0.922–1.996
	Red cell folate	0.301	0.97	0.955–1.987
Reticulocyte count	Serum cobalamin	0.094	2.90	0.025–1.000
	Red cell folate	0.156	8.18	0.010–1.000
Reticulocyte index	Serum cobalamin	0.099	0.01	0.000–57.124
	Red cell folate	0.154	0.01	0.000–98.356
WBC	Serum cobalamin	0.287	0.68	0.337–1.379
	Red cell folate	0.186	0.82	0.612–1.100