Published online Dec 19, 2024. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v14.i12.1804
Revised: August 24, 2024
Accepted: September 14, 2024
Published online: December 19, 2024
Processing time: 209 Days and 21.8 Hours
The pathogenesis of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia (SCZ) remains unclear. Accumulating studies showed that inflammatory-immune dysregulation and altered brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels play a crucial role in the psychopathology of SCZ. However, their association with cognitive dysfun
To explore the interaction effects between cognitive function and inflammatory cytokines and BDNF in first-episode SCZ.
The current study is a cross-sectional case-control investigation that recruited 84 patients with first-episode SCZ (SCZ group) and 80 healthy controls (HCs group) at the Huzhou Third Municipal Hospital between August 2021 and September 2023. ELISA was employed to measure the serum levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and BDNF. The Chinese brief cognitive test (C-BCT) and the positive and negative syndrome scales were measured the severity of cognitive impair
Compared to the HC group, the SCZ group exhibited elevated IL-1β and IL-6 levels, decreased BDNF levels, and reduced C-BCT scores (all P < 0.001). In SCZ, BDNF was negatively correlated with IL-6 (r = -0.324, P < 0.05). Information processing speed was negatively correlated with IL-6 (r = -0.315, P < 0.05) and positively with BDNF (r = 0.290, P < 0.05); attention, working memory, comprehensive ability, and executive function were negatively correlated with IL-1β and IL-6 (all P < 0.05) and positively with BDNF (all P < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis showed IL-6 influenced C-BCT dimensions (β = -0.218 to -0.327, all P < 0.05); attention and executive ability were influenced by IL-1β (β = -0.199 to -0.261, all P < 0.05); comprehensive executive ability was influenced by BDNF (β = 0.209, P < 0.05).
Our findings suggested that interrelationships between immune dysfunction and neurotrophic deficiency might underlie the pathological mechanisms of cognitive impairments in first-episode SCZ patients.
Core Tip: The previous literature has demonstrated that dysregulation of the inflammatory immune and alterations in brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels play a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia (SCZ). In this study, 84 patients with first-episode SCZ and 80 healthy volunteers were recruited. We assessed the cognitive function and psychiatric symptoms of the subjects, measured their serum inflammatory cytokines and BDNF levels, and explored the interaction between cognitive impairment and serum inflammatory cytokines and BDNF in first-episode SCZ. The findings of this study suggest that cognitive impairment in first-episode SCZ was related to immune inflammation imbalance and neurotrophic deficiency.