Inflammatory mediators in prodrome psychosis as potentials biomarkers

Author(s)

Cícero Augusto Costa Pereira

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina (FM/SBD)
• Defense date: 2021-08-18

Examining board members

Wagner Farid Gattaz; Guilherme Vanoni Polanczyk; Heraldo Possolo de Souza

• Advisor: Wagner Farid Gattaz

Abstract

Psychosis is a mental disorder that presents symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions with worsening prognosis throughout the individual\'s life. Even before presenting a frank psychosis condition, some individuals may present behavioral and clinical traits that indicate an ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis. However, ongoing research shows that the rates of conversion of individuals to UHR for frank psychosis vary widely and a great deal of effort has been made to make these criteria more specific. The instruments for the clinical diagnosis of UHR could be more accurate if the nuances of biological markers were detected during the prodromal state of conversion to psychosis. Several studies describe the existence of an inflammatory process in psychoses. Thus, we investigated in plasma of UHR individuals (n = 134), defined by the instrument Structured Interview for Psychotic Symptoms (SIPS) and healthy controls (n = 68), the eicosanoids of the COX-2 inflammatory pathway (prostaglandin E2, prostaglandin F2 and thromboxane B2) and cytokines (IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, INF-, G-CSF e TNF-) using ELISA and LUMINEX® methods, respectively. UHR individuals showed a significant increase in the concentrations of eicosanoids PGE2 (p = 0.010) and TxB2 (p = 0.037) and also of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1 (p = 0.010) and anti-inflammatory IL-4 (p = 0.027), IL-5 (p = 0.023) and G-CSF (p = 0.001) when compared to healthy controls, highlighting an imbalance in this system. These findings are similar to those reported by studies in individuals with schizophrenia, suggesting that these inflammatory mediators may be useful as possible biomarkers to the prodromal state with high risk for psychoses (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/11414-4 - Alterations in the inflammatory pathway of Cox: risk for the development of schizophrenia
• Grantee: Cícero Augusto Costa Pereira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master