Title:A Longitudinal Study of Alterations of S100B, sRAGE and Fas Ligand in Association to Olanzapine Medication in a Sample of First Episode Patients with Schizophrenia
VOLUME: 17 ISSUE: 5
Author(s):Charilaos Gerasimou, James N. Tsoporis, Nikolaos Siafakas, Erifili Hatziagelaki, Maria Kallergi, Sofia N. Chatziioannou, Thomas G. Parker, John Parissis, Vasileios Salpeas, Charalabos Papageorgiou and Emmanouil Rizos*
Affiliation:2nd Department of Psychiatry, University General Hospital , Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Keenan Research Centre, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael`s Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology, University General Hospital , 2nd Department of Internal Medicine-Propaedeutic, Research Institute and Diabetes Centre, University General Hospital , Department of Medical Instruments Technology, Technological Educational Institution of Athens, TEI, 28 Ag. Spiridona St., Athens, 12210, 2nd Department of Radiology, Nuclear Medicine Section, University General Hospital “ATTIKON”, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Keenan Research Centre, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael`s Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Cardiology Department, University General Hospital , 1st Department of Pathology National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, Athens, 1st Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Psychiatric Hospital, School of Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, 2nd Department of Psychiatry, University General Hospital
Keywords:First episode, schizophrenia, apoptotic markers, S100B, Fas Ligand, receptor for advanced glycation end products.
Abstract:Background & Objective: Neuroinflammation has been proposed as a major mechanism in
schizophrenic disorder. Specifically, an increase in the inflammatory response in the central nervous
system is capable of activating microglial cells, leading to the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines
and thus activating apoptotic signaling. An increase in apoptosis may underlie a potential role of immune
neuropathology in the etiopathogenesis of schizophrenia and specifically, the onset of the disorder.
We analyzed in whole blood, levels of S100B, the receptor for advanced glycation end products
(RAGE) and the apoptotic marker Fas Ligand in a sample of 13 first episode of schizophrenia twice at
baseline before the initiation of any antipsychotic medication (A) and 6 weeks later following an antipsychotic
monotherapy with olanzapine (B) and in a sample of 10 healthy controls. The S100B,
RAGE and Fas Ligand showed statistically significant differences before and after treatment; the
S100B measurements yielded a p-value of 0.004 while the soluble RAGE and Fas Ligand measurements
yielded a p=0.03, and p=0.04 respectively. The differences between cases and controls were not
statistically significant for all measurements, with the only exception being the S100B values where
both samples A and B showed significantly higher values than the controls with p=8.5x10-8 and
p=2.9x10-10 respectively.
Conclusion: The levels of S100B, RAGE, and Fas Ligand of drug-naive first episode psychosis patients
with schizophrenia were significantly higher than that of the same medicated first episode psychosis
patients, indicating that an increase of apoptotic signaling is present at the onset of schizophrenia
and is also associated with treatment progress.
