Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 15, 2025
Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia
Published on: December 2, 2015
Age-Dependent Correlation between Immune Parameters and Symptoms in Young Adults with Schizophrenia
Cheng Zhu1, Xiaoni Guan2, Nan Chen2
1School of Mental Health, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Affiliated Wenzhou Kangning Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
Background:
Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a debilitating mental disorder of unknown etiology. It is characterized by both positive and negative symptoms. Increasing evidence reports the role of immune abnormalities in the pathogenesis of SCZ.
Objective:
This study aimed to examine the potential effect of age on the associations between clinical symptoms and immune parameters in drug-naïve first episode SCZ (DNFES).
Methods:
A total of 64 young DNFES patients were recruited and divided into younger and older groups according to the median age. Immune parameters, including neutrophil (NEU), lymphocyte (LYM), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) values, were measured and compared between the younger and older patients to investigate the potential effect of age on the correlations between immune parameters and clinical symptoms.
Results:
We found that NEU and NLR were significantly higher in patients compared to healthy controls, with even higher values observed in the younger group than in the older group. In addition, NEU count was correlated with clinical symptoms in older patients, while NLR was correlated with symptoms in younger patients. Linear regression analysis showed that NEU or NLR values were associated with the clinical symptoms in patients with SCZ after controlling confounders.
Conclusion:
Our study suggests that young adult patients had abnormal immune parameters. Furthermore, age mediated the relationships between immune parameters and symptom severity. This study provides further evidence that abnormal immune parameters, particularly an increased innate immune response, may be involved in the pathophysiology of SCZ.
More Related Videos
05:52Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Naïve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis
Published on: November 21, 2013
09:09Generating a Reproducible Model of Mid-Gestational Maternal Immune Activation using PolyI:C to Study Susceptibility and Resilience in Offspring
Published on: August 17, 2022
Related Concept Videos
01:29Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
01:29Biological Causes of Schizophrenia
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin...
01:17Schizophrenia
01:30Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
01:26Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin...
01:27Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within...