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Background The pathogenesis of schizophrenia is still unknown. Nearly a half of schizophrenic patients have depressive symptoms and even some impulsive behaviors. The definite diagnosis of schizophrenia is an immense challenge. Molecular biology plays an essential role in the research on the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Objective This study aims to analyze the correlations of serum protein factor levels with depressive emotion and impulsive behaviors in drug-naïve patients with first-episode schizophrenia. Methods Seventy drug-naïve patients with first-episode schizophrenia and sixty-nine healthy volunteers from the health check center in the same period participated in this study. In both the patient group and control group, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), phosphatidylin-ositol-3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (AKT), and cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) levels in the peripheral blood were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The depressive emotion and impulsive behaviors were evaluated with Chinese versions of the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS) and Short UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale (S-UPPS-P), respectively. Results The serum levels of BDNF, PI3K, and CREB in the patient group were lower than those in the control group, while AKT level, total CDSS score and total S-UPPS-P score were all higher. In the patient group, total CDSS score, and total S-UPPS-P score were both correlated negatively with BDNF, PI3K, and CREB levels but positively with AKT level, and the lack-of-premeditation (PR) sub-scale score was not significantly correlated with BDNF, PI3K, AKT, and CREB levels. Conclusion Our study results showed that the peripheral blood levels of BDNF, PI3K, AKT, and CREB in drug-naïve patients with first-episode schizophrenia were significantly different from those in the control group. The levels of these serum protein factors are promising biomarkers to predict schizophrenic depression and impulsive behaviors.

Background The pathogenesis of schizophrenia remains unknown. Nearly half of the patients with schizophrenia have a combination of depressive symptoms and even some impulsive behaviors. Accurate diagnosis of this disorder has been a great challenge. Molecular biology plays an important role in the study of its pathogenesis. Objective This study is committed to analyze the correlation between depressed mood and impulsive behavior and serum protein factor levels in first-episode drug-naive schizophrenia patients. Methods Seventy first-episode drug-naive schizophrenia patients and 69 healthy controls from a physical examination center during the same period participated in this study. Peripheral blood concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (AKT), and cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) were measured using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) in the patient and control groups. The Chinese version of the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS) was used to assess depressed mood. The Chinese version of the Short UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale (S-UPPS-P) was used to assess impulsive behavior. Results Serum BDNF, PI3K and CREB concentrations in the patient group were lower than those in the control group, while AKT concentrations were higher than those in the control group. The total CDSS and S-UPPS-P scores were higher in the patient group than in the control group. The total CDSS score was negatively correlated with the concentrations of BDNF, PI3K and CREB, and positively correlated with the concentrations of AKT in the patient group. The total S-UPPS-P score in the patient group was negatively correlated with BDNF, PI3K, and CREB concentrations and positively correlated with AKT concentrations. Premeditation subscore of S-UPPS-P was not significantly correlated with BDNF, PI3K, AKT, and CREB concentrations. Conclusion Our findings show significant differences between the levels of BDNF, PI3K, AKT, and CREB concentrations in the peripheral blood of patients with first-episode drug-naive schizophrenia and controls. The concentration levels of these serum proteins could be used as biomarkers for the prediction of mood and impulsive behavior in schizophrenia.

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