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Previous studies have suggested that arylsulphatase A (ASA - the biochemical marker of metachromatic leucodystrophy) deficiency may be present in a sizeable proportion of patients with chronic psychosis. This study surveyed leucocyte ASA activity in a group of chronic psychotic patients and compared ASA activity in 3 subgroups fulfilling Research Diagnostic Criteria for schizophrenia (undifferentiated), paranoid schizophrenia and schizoaffective psychosis. Three of 45 patients had significantly reduced ASA activity but none had metachromatic leucodystrophy. Although ASA levels did not differ significantly between the groups, schizophrenics without a family history of schizophrenia had significantly lower ASA levels than those with. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Adenylate kinase activity in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was investigated in 29 patients with psychiatric symptomatologies. Such activity was demonstrated in 18 of the 19 individuals with schizophrenic or other psychotic or borderline psychotic symptomatology. No activity was seen in the remaining 10 patients with non-psychotic nervous and/or functional somatic complaints, nor in the 20 persons whose CSF was examined in connection with spinal anaesthesia, nor in four who were treated with neuroleptic drugs on nonpsychiatric indications. The findings are compatible with the assumption that in persons with psychotic or borderline psychotic symptomatology a lowered membrane electrochemical potential may be associated with some of the symptoms exhibited.