Transforming Growth Factor-β Serum Levels Associated with Social Function in Subjects at Ultra-high Risk for
Yuji Yamada1,2, Naoko Kishimoto3,4, Hiromi Tagata5
1Department of Preventive Intervention for Psychiatric Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan.
Summary
Serum levels of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) may predict social functioning changes in individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis (UHR). Higher TGF-β1 levels at baseline were linked to improved social functioning over 40 weeks.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Schizophrenia onset in adolescence impacts social functioning.
- Immune system alterations, including cytokine levels, are implicated in schizophrenia.
- Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) influences neural development and synapse formation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the predictive ability of serum TGF-β levels on social functioning changes in ultra-high-risk (UHR) individuals.
- To explore the relationship between cytokine concentrations and social functioning in a UHR cohort.
Main Methods:
- Fifty-two UHR subjects were recruited.
- Social functioning was assessed using the Specific Levels of Functioning scale (SLOF) over 52 weeks.
- Serum TGF-β levels were measured at baseline.
Main Results:
- Baseline TGF-β1 concentration correlated with SLOF score changes at 4, 28, and 40 weeks.
- Mixed-effects models showed a positive association between baseline serum TGF-β1 and SLOF score changes.
- This association was most pronounced at the 40-week follow-up.
Conclusions:
- Peripheral TGF-β1 levels may serve as a biomarker for the longitudinal course of functional outcomes in UHR subjects.
- Findings suggest a potential link between immune markers and social recovery in individuals at risk for psychosis.
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