Decreased vitamin D levels in obsessive-compulsive disorder patients

Longitudinal study of gut microbiome in obsessive-compulsive disorder

INTRODUCTION

Patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) often have limited exposure to a diverse environment and perform repetitive compulsions such as excessive cleaning and washing, which could lead to altered gut microbiome. Therefore, longitudinal studies that investigate changes in gut microbiome before and after cognitive behavioral therapy based on exposure and response prevention (ERP) are warranted.

METHODS

All study participants (N = 64) underwent a structured psychiatric diagnostic interview prior to inclusion. Nutritional intake was assessed with a comprehensive food frequency questionnaire. Stool samples were collected from OCD patients before ERP (n = 32) and 1 month after completion of ERP (n = 15), as well as from healthy controls (HCs; n = 32). Taxonomic and functional analyses were performed using data from microbiome whole genome sequencing.

RESULTS

Patients with OCD at baseline reported consuming significantly less fiber than HCs (R2  = .12, F(2, 59) = 5.2, p ≤ .01). There were no significant differences in α- and β-diversity indices, or taxonomic dissimilarities at the species level between patients with OCD and HCs, or within patients before and after ERP. Functional profiling based on gut microbial gene expression was grouped into 56 gut-brain modules with neuroactive potential. None of the gut-brain modules differed significantly in expression between patients with OCD at baseline and HCs or within patients before and after ERP.

CONCLUSIONS

The diversity, composition, and functional profile of the gut microbiome in patients with OCD did not differ significantly from HCs and remained stable over time, despite behavioral changes.

Decreased Levels of Vitamin D in Bipolar Patients

Recently, vitamin D is considered a pleiotropic hormone, and as such, it has also become a topic of renewed interest in neuropsychiatry for its proposed role in the aetiology and pathophysiology of different psychiatric conditions, including mood disorders (MDs). This seems particularly crucial while considering the relatively high and often neglected prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in the general population and in specific groups, such as patients suffering from the most common type of MDs, which are major depression (MDD) and bipolar disorders (BDs). Therefore, in view of the controversial literature and findings on this topic and its potential therapeutic implications, the present study aimed at evaluating vitamin D levels in the plasma of a sample of inpatients fulfilling the DSM-5 criteria for mood episodes within BDs. The clinical picture was assessed by means of specific rating scales. The results showed that the vitamin D levels (mean ± SD, nM/L) of the bipolar patients of our sample were significantly lower (14.58 ± 11.27 nmol/L) than the normative values (>30 nmol/L). Eleven patients had sufficient values and only 4 had optimal, while 19 showed insufficient, 18 critical, and 17 severely critical levels. No differences emerged according to different socio-demographic or clinical features. In our opinion, the present findings strengthen previous research highlighting decreased vitamin D levels in bipolar patients and support the role of this pleiotropic hormone in BDs. Nevertheless, further studies should follow to corroborate the data of this preliminary study and to address the potential benefits of vitamin D supplementation in the treatment of MDs.

Investıgation of vitamin D levels in obsessive-compulsive disorder

BACKGROUND

The impact of vitamin D on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) remains unknown.

AIM

Studies suggest that vitamin D deficiency may be associated with neuropsychiatric diseases. The purpose of this study is to investigate vitamin D levels in those diagnosed with OCD. In addition, the relation between OCD symptom severity and serum vitamin D level is investigated.

METHODS

About 174 patients newly diagnosed with OCD and 170 healthy volunteers were included in the study. Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) was used to assess the severity of OCD symptoms. Serum vitamin D levels of the two groups were compared.

RESULTS

The serum vitamin D levels of the OCD group were found to be significantly lower than the control group. Serum vitamin D levels were negatively correlated with the obsession, compulsion, and total scale scores measured in YBOCS but there was no correlation between the serum vitamin D levels and illness duration of OCD patients.

CONCLUSIONS

To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the first studies to investigate vitamin D levels in newly diagnosed adult OCD patients without comorbidities. Although our findings suggest that vitamin D may play a role in the pathophysiology of OCD, further studies are needed to support our findings.