Increased plasma levels of high mobility group box 1 protein in patients with bipolar disorder: A pilot study

Advanced Biomarkers of Hepatotoxicity in Psychiatry: A Narrative Review and Recommendations for New Psychoactive Substances

One of the factors that increase the effectiveness of the pharmacotherapy used in patients abusing various types of new psychoactive substances (NPSs) is the proper functioning of the liver. However, the articles published to date on NPS hepatotoxicity only address non-specific hepatic parameters. The aim of this manuscript was to review three advanced markers of hepatotoxicity in psychiatry, namely, osteopontin (OPN), high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) and glutathione dehydrogenase (GDH, GLDH), and, on this basis, to identify recommendations that should be included in future studies in patients abusing NPSs. This will make it possible to determine whether NPSs do indeed have a hepatotoxic effect or whether other factors, such as additional substances taken or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, are responsible. NPS abusers are at particular risk of HCV infection, and for this reason, it is all the more important to determine what factors actually show a hepatotoxic effect in them.

Impact of SARS-CoV-2 on Host Factors Involved in Mental Disorders

COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, is a systemic illness due to its multiorgan effects in patients. The disease has a detrimental impact on respiratory and cardiovascular systems. One early symptom of infection is anosmia or lack of smell; this implicates the involvement of the olfactory bulb in COVID-19 disease and provides a route into the central nervous system. However, little is known about how SARS-CoV-2 affects neurological or psychological symptoms. SARS-CoV-2 exploits host receptors that converge on pathways that impact psychological symptoms. This systemic review discusses the ways involved by coronavirus infection and their impact on mental health disorders. We begin by briefly introducing the history of coronaviruses, followed by an overview of the essential proteins to viral entry. Then, we discuss the downstream effects of viral entry on host proteins. Finally, we review the literature on host factors that are known to play critical roles in neuropsychiatric symptoms and mental diseases and discuss how COVID-19 could impact mental health globally. Our review details the host factors and pathways involved in the cellular mechanisms, such as systemic inflammation, that play a significant role in the development of neuropsychological symptoms stemming from COVID-19 infection.

Alarmins (IL-33, sST2, HMGB1, and S100B) as potential biomarkers for schizophrenia

There is growing evidence that immune/inflammatory processes are related to the etiology of schizophrenia. Danger-/damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), also called alarmins, are recognized as inflammatory mediators that play an important role in the development of many infection-induced or sterile inflammatory diseases. The importance of DAMPs particles in various mental disorders is still not clear. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate serum levels of the most promising alarmins (IL-33, sST2, HMGB1, and S100B), as potent schizophrenia biomarkers. Sixty-eight adult patients with chronic schizophrenia and twenty-nine healthy volunteers were included in this prospective study. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to assess the serum concentration of IL-33, sST2, HMGB1, and S100B. We documented that the serum levels of IL-33 (p = 0.006), sST2 (p = 0.02), HMGB1 (p = 0.01), and S100B (p = 0.04) are significantly higher in patients with schizophrenia than in healthy subjects. In male, but not in female, patients with schizophrenia, we found a significant difference in the serum IL-33, sST2, and HMGB1 concentrations as compared to the healthy men. In both male and female patients with schizophrenia, there was no significant difference in the serum concentrations of S100B in comparison to control subjects. In patients with schizophrenia, no significant correlations were noticed neither between any studied alarmins and PANSS scores nor between CDSS scores. Given that all investigated alarmins participate in the course of the neuroinflammatory process, they might be considered as biomarkers of neuroinflammatory process underlying schizophrenia. Based on our observations, it seems that the most useful biological indicator of schizophrenia would be IL-33.