Correlation between lipid peroxidation-induced TBARS level and disease severity in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Oxidative stress is thought to play an important role in several neuropsychiatric diseases including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (TBARS) are products formed as a result of free radical induced lipid peroxidation in the human body. Our study investigated the correlation between TBARS and the clinical severity of OCD as indicated by the Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS). Serum TBARS was estimated in thirty nine newly diagnosed drug free OCD patients and thirty three disease free control subjects. Mean values for serum TBARS were found to be significantly higher (P < 0.001) in cases than in controls (5.85 nmol/ml and 3.90 nmol/ml with an SD of 0.56 and 0.81 respectively). A strong positive correlation (rs = 0.757, p < 0.01) between the lipid peroxidation marker TBARS and the disease severity indicator YBOCS was found among cases. Significant positive correlation was also found between TBARS and the obsessive and compulsive subscales of YBOCS. These findings were in tune with previous studies, which suggested oxidative stress induced increased free radical generation in the OCD patients. Our findings may help in understanding the development and progress of OCD and the treatment of patients of OCD in future.