Plasma clozapine levels and clinical response in treatment-refractory Chinese schizophrenic patients

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• 作者：Jessica Oi-yin Wong ; Shung-pun Leung ; Tony Mak ; Roger Man-kin Ng ; Kai-tai Chan ; Henry Hon-kee Cheung ; Wing-kit Choi ; Judy Lai and Alfert Wai-kiu Tsang
• 刊名：Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry
• 出版年：2006
• 出版时间：March 2006
• 年：2006
• 卷：30
• 期：2
• 页码：251-264
• 全文大小：208 K

文摘

Purpose

To evaluate clinical efficacy of clozapine in relation with its plasma level in a group of Chinese patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. In addition, the relationship between plasma level and side effects were examined.

Method

Fifty-one patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia were put on a fixed dose of clozapine at 300 mg/day for 6 weeks. Non-responders to week 6 received 500 mg/day in subsequent 6 weeks. Responders to week 6 continued to receive 300 mg/day. Clozapine plasma levels were checked at weeks 6 and 12.

Findings

No association was found between clozapine plasma level, response and side effects. Sodium valproate was found to elevate clozapine plasma level while lowering norclozapine/clozapine ratio.

Conclusion

Clozapine plasma level was not found to be associated with response and side effect in Chinese treatment-resistant schizophrenic patients. Various explanations were postulated for the lack of relationship observed between clozapine plasma level and response in this population.