Humoral-endorphin blood levels in autistic, schizophrenic and healthy subjects

Basal morning humoral (H)-endorphin blood levels were assessed in ten autistic patients, 12 chronic schizophrenic patients and 11 healthy control subjects. Four autistic patients and four schizophrenic patients were drug free for at least 6 months while all other psychiatric patients were under treatment with antidopaminergic agents. Significantly reduced opioid levels were observed in the autistic group (827 +/- 103 vs 1121 +/- 75 pg-eq/ml, P less than 0.025), although the difference was actually only 26% of the control mean. A similar tendency toward low H-endorphin levels was also observed in the schizophrenic patients; however this difference was not significant (919 +/- 129 vs 1121 +/- 75 pg-eq/ml; NS). No significant difference was obtained between subjects suffering from the two psychiatric disorders (827 +/- 103 vs 919 +/- 129 pg-eq/ml; NS). Various interpretations of the decreased secretion of H-endorphin are discussed.