ORIGINAL RESEARCH published: 09 November 2016 doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00172 Fundamental Role of Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677 c → T genotype and Flavin Compounds in Biochemical Phenotypes for Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Psychosis Stephanie Fryar-Williams1,2,3* 1 Youth in Mind Research Institute, Norwood, SA, Australia, 2 The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woodville, SA, Australia, 3 Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Woodville, SA, Australia The Mental Health Biomarker Project (2010–2016) explored variables for psychosis in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Blood samples from 67, highly characterized symptomatic cases and 67 gender and age matched control participants were analyzed for methyl tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677C → T gene variants and for vitamin B6, B12 and D, folate, unbound copper, zinc cofactors for enzymes in the methylation Edited by: Stefan Borgwardt, cycle, and related catecholamine pathways. Urine samples were analyzed for indole- University of Basel, Switzerland catecholamines, their metabolites, and oxidative-stress marker, hydroxylpyrolline-2-one Reviewed by: (HPL). Rating scales were Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Positive and Negative Bernhard J. Mitterauer, Syndrome Scale, Global Assessment of Function scale, Clinical Global Impression (CGI) Volitronics-Institute for Basic Research Psychopathology and score, and Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS). Analysis Brain Philosophy, Austria used Spearman’s correlates, receiver operating characteristics and structural equation Antonio Bruno, University of Messina, Italy modeling (SEM). The correlative pattern of variables in the overall participant sample *Correspondence: strongly implicated monoamine oxidase (MAO) enzyme inactivity so the significant role Stephanie Fryar-Williams of MAO’s cofactor flavin adenine nucleotide and its precursor flavin adenine mononucle-
[email protected] otide (FMN) within the biochemical pathways was investigated and confirmed as 71% on SEM of the total sample.