Relationship between TNF-α levels and psychiatric symptoms in first-episode drug-naïve patients with schizophrenia before and after risperidone treatment and in chronic patients

BMC Psychiatry

Wei Feng¹  Weihong Fu¹  Dachun Chen¹  Jianjin Yu¹  Ke Chen¹  Fude Yang¹  Xiangyang Zhang²  Chen Lin³ 

[1] Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University, 100096, Beijing, People’s Republic of China;Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA;Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University, 100096, Beijing, People’s Republic of China;

关键词: Schizophrenia;    TNF-α;    Inflammatory cytokines;    PANSS;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12888-021-03569-5

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe influence of antipsychotic drugs on tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels is unclear, and there is no consensus on the association between TNF-α and psychotic symptoms. This study aimed to investigate the differences in TNF-α levels and clinical correlations in first-episode drug-naïve (FEDN) patients with schizophrenia before and after treatment and in chronic patients.MethodsA total of 103 (51 FEDN and 52 chronic) patients and 114 healthy controls were recruited. Demographic and clinical data, including TNF-α levels, were recorded. We used the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) to measure the psychopathology of all patients.ResultsTNF-α levels before treatment were significantly higher in FEDN patients than in chronic patients and healthy controls. No significant sex differences were found in the TNF-α levels of patients with schizophrenia. The TNF-α levels before treatment were significantly positively related to changes in PANSS negative symptoms in FEDN patients. The TNF-α levels in chronic patients were significantly negatively correlated with the general psychopathology subscales and PANSS total scores.ConclusionsIncreased TNF-α levels in FEDN patients and their correlation with psychopathology indicate that inflammatory cytokines may play a crucial role in the etiopathogenesis of schizophrenia, and inflammation-directed therapy may, therefore, improve negative symptoms.

【 授权许可】

CC BY