Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 29: Growth factor receptors may help distinguish early stages of schizophrenia spectrum disorders, with lower nerve growth factor receptor concentrations found in people experiencing first-episode psychosis and those at ultra-high risk of developing psychosis, according to new research.
Receptor changes across disease stages
Researchers assessed serum concentrations of nerve growth factor receptor (nGFR), epidermal growth factor receptor (eGFR) and integrin beta-1 (ITGB1) in 93 patients and 34 healthy controls.
Participants were classified into four groups: deficit schizophrenia, non-deficit schizophrenia, first-episode psychosis and ultra-high risk of psychosis. Serum receptor concentrations were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
The analysis found that nGFR concentrations were significantly lower among individuals with first-episode psychosis and those at ultra-high risk of psychosis compared with healthy controls.
In contrast, eGFR concentrations were elevated across all patient groups, including those with deficit schizophrenia, non-deficit schizophrenia, first-episode psychosis and ultra-high-risk states.
ITGB1 concentrations were similarly significantly higher across all clinical groups compared with healthy participants.
Receptors linked to disease exacerbations
The researchers also examined whether receptor levels were associated with clinical characteristics.
Higher nGFR concentrations were linked to a greater number of disease exacerbations. eGFR levels increased progressively with exacerbation frequency, reaching their highest levels among participants who had experienced 10 to 14 exacerbations.
Elevated ITGB1 concentrations were also associated with more frequent exacerbations, with patients reporting 10 to 14 exacerbations showing higher ITGB1 levels than the reference group.
The findings suggest that eGFR and ITGB1 could reflect disease activity and severity rather than simply differences between diagnostic stages.
Potential biomarkers for monitoring
Treatment-related effects were also observed. Aripiprazole use was associated with reduced eGFR concentrations and lower ITGB1 levels.
Researchers found no significant relationship between receptor concentrations and illness duration, while only limited associations were observed with measures of symptom severity.
The researchers concluded that nGFR could represent a marker of early schizophrenia-related changes, while eGFR and ITGB1 may offer insights into disease activity and treatment response.
However, they stressed that larger longitudinal studies are needed to establish whether these growth factor receptors can be clinically useful for diagnosis, disease monitoring and personalised treatment strategies.