Sex differences in the association of treatment-resistant schizophrenia and serum interleukin-6 levels
Abstract Background Low-grade inflammation and altered inflammatory markers have been observed in treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is one of the pro-inflammatory cytokines linked with TRS and receives increasing attention. Previous studies showed that patients with TRS m...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-06-01
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| Series: | BMC Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04952-0 |
| _version_ | 1797789636771184640 |
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| author | Jingqi He Yisen Wei Jinguang Li Ying Tang Junyu Liu Zhangyin He Risheng Zhou Xingtao He Honghong Ren Yanhui Liao Lin Gu Ning Yuan Xiaogang Chen Jinsong Tang |
| author_facet | Jingqi He Yisen Wei Jinguang Li Ying Tang Junyu Liu Zhangyin He Risheng Zhou Xingtao He Honghong Ren Yanhui Liao Lin Gu Ning Yuan Xiaogang Chen Jinsong Tang |
| author_sort | Jingqi He |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Low-grade inflammation and altered inflammatory markers have been observed in treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is one of the pro-inflammatory cytokines linked with TRS and receives increasing attention. Previous studies showed that patients with TRS might have higher IL-6 levels compared with healthy individuals and treatment-responsive patients. Besides, emerging evidence has suggested that there are sex differences in the associations between IL-6 levels and various illnesses, including chronic hepatitis C, metabolic syndrome, etc.; however, there is limited study on TRS. In this present study, we aimed to compare the serum IL-6 levels of TRS and partially responsive schizophrenia (PRS) and explore potential sex differences in the association of TRS and IL-6 levels. Methods The study population consisted of a total of 90 patients with schizophrenia: 64 TRS patients (45.3% males and 54.7% females) and 26 PRS patients (46.2% males and 53.8% females). We measured serum IL-6 levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and analyzed them separately by gender, controlling for confounders (age, education, medication, body mass index, and PANSS scores) rigorously. Result The results showed that patients with TRS had higher serum IL-6 levels than patients with PRS (p = 0.002). In females, IL-6 levels increased significantly in the TRS group compared with the PRS group (p = 0.005). And a positive correlation tendency was observed between IL-6 levels and PANSS general sub-scores (r = 0.31, p = 0.039), although this correlation was not significant after correcting for multiple comparisons. Whereas, there were no differences in IL-6 levels between the TRS and PRS (p = 0.124) in males. Conclusion Our findings provided evidence supporting the hypothesis that the inflammatory response system (IRS) may play a role in the pathogenesis of TRS in a sex-dependent manner. In addition, sex differences in the immune dysfunction of individuals with schizophrenia cannot be neglected, and inflammation in male and female TRS should be discussed separately. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:53:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7491a49feb2540f98337c5127025152b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-244X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:53:30Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-7491a49feb2540f98337c5127025152b2023-07-02T11:22:31ZengBMCBMC Psychiatry1471-244X2023-06-012311810.1186/s12888-023-04952-0Sex differences in the association of treatment-resistant schizophrenia and serum interleukin-6 levelsJingqi He0Yisen Wei1Jinguang Li2Ying Tang3Junyu Liu4Zhangyin He5Risheng Zhou6Xingtao He7Honghong Ren8Yanhui Liao9Lin Gu10Ning Yuan11Xiaogang Chen12Jinsong Tang13Department of Psychiatry, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry, National Center for Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry, National Center for Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry, National Center for Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry, National Center for Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang UniversityThe Ninth Hospital of ChangshaThe Ninth Hospital of ChangshaDepartment of Psychiatry, National Center for Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang UniversityRIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence ProjectHunan Provincial Brain Hospital (The Second People’s Hospital of Hunan Province)Department of Psychiatry, National Center for Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang UniversityAbstract Background Low-grade inflammation and altered inflammatory markers have been observed in treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is one of the pro-inflammatory cytokines linked with TRS and receives increasing attention. Previous studies showed that patients with TRS might have higher IL-6 levels compared with healthy individuals and treatment-responsive patients. Besides, emerging evidence has suggested that there are sex differences in the associations between IL-6 levels and various illnesses, including chronic hepatitis C, metabolic syndrome, etc.; however, there is limited study on TRS. In this present study, we aimed to compare the serum IL-6 levels of TRS and partially responsive schizophrenia (PRS) and explore potential sex differences in the association of TRS and IL-6 levels. Methods The study population consisted of a total of 90 patients with schizophrenia: 64 TRS patients (45.3% males and 54.7% females) and 26 PRS patients (46.2% males and 53.8% females). We measured serum IL-6 levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and analyzed them separately by gender, controlling for confounders (age, education, medication, body mass index, and PANSS scores) rigorously. Result The results showed that patients with TRS had higher serum IL-6 levels than patients with PRS (p = 0.002). In females, IL-6 levels increased significantly in the TRS group compared with the PRS group (p = 0.005). And a positive correlation tendency was observed between IL-6 levels and PANSS general sub-scores (r = 0.31, p = 0.039), although this correlation was not significant after correcting for multiple comparisons. Whereas, there were no differences in IL-6 levels between the TRS and PRS (p = 0.124) in males. Conclusion Our findings provided evidence supporting the hypothesis that the inflammatory response system (IRS) may play a role in the pathogenesis of TRS in a sex-dependent manner. In addition, sex differences in the immune dysfunction of individuals with schizophrenia cannot be neglected, and inflammation in male and female TRS should be discussed separately.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04952-0Treatment-resistant schizophreniaInterleukin-6CytokinesInflammationSex |
| spellingShingle | Jingqi He Yisen Wei Jinguang Li Ying Tang Junyu Liu Zhangyin He Risheng Zhou Xingtao He Honghong Ren Yanhui Liao Lin Gu Ning Yuan Xiaogang Chen Jinsong Tang Sex differences in the association of treatment-resistant schizophrenia and serum interleukin-6 levels BMC Psychiatry Treatment-resistant schizophrenia Interleukin-6 Cytokines Inflammation Sex |
| title | Sex differences in the association of treatment-resistant schizophrenia and serum interleukin-6 levels |
| title_full | Sex differences in the association of treatment-resistant schizophrenia and serum interleukin-6 levels |
| title_fullStr | Sex differences in the association of treatment-resistant schizophrenia and serum interleukin-6 levels |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sex differences in the association of treatment-resistant schizophrenia and serum interleukin-6 levels |
| title_short | Sex differences in the association of treatment-resistant schizophrenia and serum interleukin-6 levels |
| title_sort | sex differences in the association of treatment resistant schizophrenia and serum interleukin 6 levels |
| topic | Treatment-resistant schizophrenia Interleukin-6 Cytokines Inflammation Sex |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04952-0 |
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