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Published on: July 24, 2013
Frailty-related vulnerability and immune cell profiles in younger adults with schizophrenia: an exploratory study
Shan Hung1,2, Shang-Ying Tsai1,2,3, Chiou-Feng Lin4,5,6
1Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Medical University Hospital, No.252, Wuxing St., Taipei, 11031, Taiwan.
Background:
This exploratory study aimed to compare frailty characteristics between patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls, and to investigate the association between frailty severity and immune-inflammatory markers in individuals with schizophrenia.
Methods:
We recruited 27 community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia (mean age 39.9 ± 7.8 years) and 14 age-matched healthy controls (mean age 37.1 ± 8.4 years). Frailty was assessed using the Frailty Index-Laboratory (FI-Lab), the Edmonton Frail Scale (EFS), and the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). Immune-inflammatory markers were analyzed using flow cytometry. Statistical analyses examined group differences and associations with frailty severity.
Results:
Compared to healthy controls, patients with schizophrenia showed significantly higher scores on FI-Lab, EFS, and CFS. Several immune cell subsets, including memory (CD45RO+) γ/δ T- Th17 and regulatory γ/δ T- Th cells, were significantly elevated in the schizophrenia group. Within this group, FI-Lab scores were positively associated with memory (CD45RO+) γ/δ T- Tc levels. No significant differences were observed for hs-CRP or homocysteine.
Conclusions:
Our findings suggest that younger patients with schizophrenia may exhibit early signs of frailty and altered immune cell profiles. While limited by sample size and cross-sectional design, these findings highlight potential immune correlates of frailty-related vulnerability in this population.
Clinical Trial Registration:
Not applicable.
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