The relationship between alterations in plasma metabolites and treatment responses in antipsychotic-naïve female patients with schizophrenia

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the relationship between alterations in plasma metabolites and treatment responses amongst antipsychotic-naïve female patients with schizophrenia. A total of 38 antipsychotic-naïve female schizophrenia patients (ANS) and 19 healthy female controls (HC) were recruited. Plasma samples were obtained from all participants, and targeted metabolomics were measured with FIA-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS. The positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) was used to assess the severity of psychotic symptoms before and after eight weeks of treatment. Receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curves were used to predict diagnostic and therapeutic responses. A total of 186 metabolites passed quality control procedures and were used in statistical analysis to identify potential biomarkers. Before treatment, the ANS patients had lower levels of γ -Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) and higher levels of Cholesteryl esters (CE) (20:3), Cholic Acid (CA) and Glycocholic Acid (GCA) compared to the HCs. These four differential metabonomic markers were synthesised into a combinatorial biomarker panel. This panel significantly distinguished ANS from HC. Moreover, this biomarker panel was able to effectively predict therapeutic responses. Our results suggest that plasma CE (20:3), CA, GCA, and GABA levels may be useful for diagnosing and predicting antipsychotic efficacy amongst female schizophrenia patients.

Keywords:

• Female
• schizophrenia
• metabolites
• antipsychotics-naïve
• treatment response

Acknowledgments

We thank all of the study participants for their cooperation. The supporters had no role in the design, analysis, interpretation, or publication of this study.

Author contributions

Jie Li designed the study and wrote the study protocol. Xiaoli Wang, Jun Xie^, Hongyun Ma, Meijuan Li, Shen Li, Gang Li, Xiaoxiao Sun, Yongping Zhao, Wei Sun and Shu Yang acquired the data. Meijuan Li performed the statistical analyses. Jie Li, Xiaoli Wang, Jun Xie, Hongyun Ma, Meijuan Li and Shen Li interpreted the data and drafted the initial manuscript. All authors contributed in the final drafting and critically revised the manuscript.

Statement of interest

None to declare.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported in part by Tianjin Key Medical Discipline (Specialty) Construction Project [TJYXZDXK-033A]; Tianjin Key Medical Discipline (Specialty) Construction Project of Tianjin Health Commission [TJWJ2022XK039]; Foundation of Tianjin Health Commission for Young Scholars [KJ20067]; Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin Municipal Science and Technology Bureau [22JCZDJC00110]; Tianjin Health Research Project [TJWJ2023MS039].