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High circulating MIF levels indicate the association with atypical antipsychotic-induced adverse metabolic effects

Xi Chen1,2,3, Pingyi Gao2, Yadan Qi2

  • 1Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Translational Psychiatry
|May 27, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Atypical antipsychotics increase macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) levels, correlating with metabolic issues like insulin resistance and high cholesterol. MIF may serve as a marker for monitoring these adverse effects in schizophrenia patients.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Metabolic Disorders
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Atypical antipsychotics (AAPs) are crucial for schizophrenia (SZ) treatment but cause adverse metabolic effects.
  • The mechanisms underlying these metabolic abnormalities induced by AAPs are not fully understood.
  • Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is implicated in inflammatory and metabolic processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and antipsychotic-induced metabolic abnormalities.
  • To compare MIF levels and metabolic profiles in schizophrenia patients treated with AAPs versus typical antipsychotics (TAPs) and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 142 healthy individuals and 388 SZ patients (treated with TAPs or AAPs) from 2017-2020.
  • Evaluation of schizophrenia symptoms using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).
  • Measurement of plasma MIF levels and metabolic indices (including insulin resistance, triglycerides, and total cholesterol).

Main Results:

  • Significantly elevated plasma MIF levels were observed in patients receiving five major AAP monotherapies compared to healthy controls (p < 0.0001).
  • No significant increase in MIF levels was found in patients treated with TAPs (p > 0.05).
  • Elevated MIF levels in AAP groups correlated significantly with insulin resistance (β=0.024, p=0.020), triglycerides (β=0.019, p=0.001), and total cholesterol (β=0.012, p=0.038).

Conclusions:

  • Plasma MIF levels are distinctively correlated with metabolic abnormalities induced by atypical antipsychotics.
  • MIF shows potential as a specific biomarker for monitoring adverse metabolic effects associated with AAP treatment.
  • Further research could explore MIF-targeted interventions to mitigate antipsychotic-induced metabolic dysfunction.

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