Glutathione S-transferase K1 genotype and overweight status in schizophrenia patients: A pilot study

Elevated oxidative stress in mitochondria and mitochondrial dysfunction are associated with weight gain in schizophrenia (SCZ) patients. Glutathione S-transferase kappa 1 (GSTK1) protects cells against exogenous and endogenous oxidative stress in the mitochondria. This exploratory study investigated the possible effects of a common GSTK1 polymorphism (rs1917760, G-1308T) on the risk for overweight status among 329 SCZ patients and 305 age- and gender-matched controls and on the GSTK1 mRNA level in peripheral blood mononuclear cells among 14 SCZ patients. The GSTK1 T/T genotype was associated with having a higher BMI value among SCZ male patients, whereas this genotype tended to be associated with a lower BMI value among female patients. Conversely, these associations were not observed among the controls. The GSTK1 T/T genotype was associated with decreased GSTK1 mRNA level among SCZ patients. The GSTK1 T/T genotype may be a novel risk factor for the prediction of overweight status in SCZ male patients, although the results of this pilot study should be verified by a larger study.