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Krsek A, Ostojic L, Zivalj D, Baticic L. Navigating the Neuroimmunomodulation Frontier: Pioneering Approaches and Promising Horizons-A Comprehensive Review. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:9695. [PMID: 39273641 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25179695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2024] [Revised: 08/30/2024] [Accepted: 09/03/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
The research in neuroimmunomodulation aims to shed light on the complex relationships that exist between the immune and neurological systems and how they affect the human body. This multidisciplinary field focuses on the way immune responses are influenced by brain activity and how neural function is impacted by immunological signaling. This provides important insights into a range of medical disorders. Targeting both brain and immunological pathways, neuroimmunomodulatory approaches are used in clinical pain management to address chronic pain. Pharmacological therapies aim to modulate neuroimmune interactions and reduce inflammation. Furthermore, bioelectronic techniques like vagus nerve stimulation offer non-invasive control of these systems, while neuromodulation techniques like transcranial magnetic stimulation modify immunological and neuronal responses to reduce pain. Within the context of aging, neuroimmunomodulation analyzes the ways in which immunological and neurological alterations brought on by aging contribute to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative illnesses. Restoring neuroimmune homeostasis through strategies shows promise in reducing age-related cognitive decline. Research into mood disorders focuses on how immunological dysregulation relates to illnesses including anxiety and depression. Immune system fluctuations are increasingly recognized for their impact on brain function, leading to novel treatments that target these interactions. This review emphasizes how interdisciplinary cooperation and continuous research are necessary to better understand the complex relationship between the neurological and immune systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antea Krsek
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Leona Ostojic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Dorotea Zivalj
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Lara Baticic
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Biochemistry and Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
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Gangadin SS, Enthoven AD, van Beveren NJM, Laman JD, Sommer IEC. Immune Dysfunction in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 2024; 20:229-257. [PMID: 38996077 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-081122-013201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/14/2024]
Abstract
Evidence from epidemiological, clinical, and biological research resulted in the immune hypothesis: the hypothesis that immune system dysfunction is involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD). The promising implication of this hypothesis is the potential to use existing immunomodulatory treatment for innovative interventions for SSD. Here, we provide a selective historical review of important discoveries that have shaped our understanding of immune dysfunction in SSD. We first explain the basic principles of immune dysfunction, after which we travel more than a century back in time. Starting our journey with neurosyphilis-associated psychosis in the nineteenth century, we continue by evaluating the role of infections and autoimmunity in SSD and findings from assessment of immune function using new techniques, such as cytokine levels, microglia density, neuroimaging, and gene expression. Drawing from these findings, we discuss anti-inflammatory interventions for SSD, and we conclude with a look into the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- S S Gangadin
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands;
| | - A D Enthoven
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands;
| | - N J M van Beveren
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Parnassia Group for Mental Health Care, The Hague and Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J D Laman
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - I E C Sommer
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands;
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Etchecopar-Etchart D, Yon DK, Wojciechowski P, Aballea S, Toumi M, Boyer L, Fond G. Comprehensive evaluation of 45 augmentation drugs for schizophrenia: a network meta-analysis. EClinicalMedicine 2024; 69:102473. [PMID: 38356727 PMCID: PMC10864200 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Antipsychotics are the gold standard treatment for schizophrenia, but many patients who receive treatment experience persistent symptoms. The aim of this network meta-analysis was to determine the efficacy of augmentation drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia. Methods In accordance with the PRISMA statement, the PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, CENTRAL, clinical trial and EUDRACT databases were searched from inception to May 15th, 2023. To ensure the robustness of the results, only double-blind randomised controlled trials with a low risk of bias (measured by the Risk Of Bias v2 (ROB2) tool) were included. The studies were categorised according to the background regimen: participants were treated with risperidone, mixed antipsychotics or clozapine. A Bayesian network meta-analysis was conducted using a random effects model. PROSPERO register: CRD42023420964. Findings A total of 44 trials (comprising 45 augmentation drugs and 3358 participants) were included in the analysis. One-third of the drugs (16 drugs) demonstrated significant efficacy vs. placebo for at least one outcome. The most notable effect sizes (ESs) were observed for the use of tropisetron (standard mean difference: -0.83 [95% interval confidence -1.12 to -0.55]), memantine (-0.50 [-0.66 to -0.32]) and minocycline (-0.56 [-0.72 to -0.39]) to treat negative symptoms among patients treated with risperidone (moderate-to-high ESs). Studies involving mixed antipsychotics yielded lower ESs (small-to-moderate). Sodium benzoate (-0.41 [-0.60 to -0.21]) and memantine (-0.23 [-0.36 to -0.11]) were found have significant effects on positive symptoms, while memantine demonstrated efficacy for negative symptoms (-0.32 [-0.45 to -0.19]) and general psychopathology (-0.32 [-0.44 to -0.20]). Studies focusing exclusively on patients treated with clozapine revealed that duloxetine produced the best results (negative symptoms: -1.12 [-1.35 to -0.91]). Sodium benzoate was the only augmentation drug that demonstrated efficacy in relieving persistent positive symptoms (-0.32 [-0.59 to -0.08]) among patients treated with clozapine. Treatment with clozapine in combination with antipsychotics yielded small-to-moderate ESs. Interpretation The GRADE framework indicated that the quality of the evidence among the included studies was moderate, primarily due to the limited number of randomised controlled trials with a low risk of bias. Important drugs did not appear in these results due to insufficient low-risk-of-bias data for these medications. These results highlight new pathways for treating schizophrenia that should be incorporated into future guidelines after further validation. Funding No funding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien Etchecopar-Etchart
- UR3279, CEReSS, Research Centre on Health Services and Quality of Life, Aix Marseille University, Marseille, France
- Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Marseille AP-HM, Marseille, France
- FondaMental Foundation, Creteil, France
| | - Dong Keon Yon
- Department of Pediatrics, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Center for Digital Health, Medical Science Research Institute, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | - Mondher Toumi
- UR3279, CEReSS, Research Centre on Health Services and Quality of Life, Aix Marseille University, Marseille, France
- InovIntell, Krakow, Poland
| | - Laurent Boyer
- UR3279, CEReSS, Research Centre on Health Services and Quality of Life, Aix Marseille University, Marseille, France
- Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Marseille AP-HM, Marseille, France
- FondaMental Foundation, Creteil, France
| | - Guillaume Fond
- UR3279, CEReSS, Research Centre on Health Services and Quality of Life, Aix Marseille University, Marseille, France
- Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Marseille AP-HM, Marseille, France
- FondaMental Foundation, Creteil, France
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4
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Gangadin SS, Mandl RCW, de Witte LD, van Haren NEM, Schutte MJL, Begemann MJH, Kahn RS, Sommer IEC. Lower fractional anisotropy without evidence for neuro-inflammation in patients with early-phase schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Schizophr Res 2024; 264:557-566. [PMID: 36577563 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Various lines of research suggest immune dysregulation as a potential therapeutic target for negative and cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD). Immune dysregulation would lead to higher extracellular free-water (EFW) in cerebral white matter (WM), which may partially underlie the frequently reported lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in SSD. We aim to investigate differences in EFW concentrations - a presumed proxy for neuro-inflammation - between early-phase SSD patients (n = 55) and healthy controls (HC; n = 37), and to explore immunological and cognitive correlates. To increase specificity for EFW, we study several complementary magnetic resonance imaging contrasts that are sensitive to EFW. FA, mean diffusivity (MD), magnetization transfer ratio (MTR), myelin water fraction (MWF) and quantitative T1 and T2 were calculated from diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), magnetization transfer imaging (MTI) and multicomponent driven equilibrium single-pulse observation of T1/T2 (mcDESPOT). For each measure, WM skeletons were constructed with tract-based spatial statistics. Multivariate SSD-HC comparisons with WM skeletons and their average values (i.e. global WM) were not statistically significant. In voxel-wise analyses, FA was significantly lower in SSD in the genu of the corpus callosum and in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus (p < 0.04). Global WM measures did not correlate with immunological markers (i.e. IL1-RA, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and CRP) or cognition in HC and SSD after corrections for multiple comparisons. We confirmed lower FA in early-phase SSD patients. However, nonFA measures did not provide additional evidence for immune dysregulation or for higher EFW as the primary mechanism underlying the reported lower FA values in SSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiral S Gangadin
- Section Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - René C W Mandl
- Section Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Lot D de Witte
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA.
| | - Neeltje E M van Haren
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Maya J L Schutte
- Section Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Marieke J H Begemann
- Section Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - René S Kahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA.
| | - Iris E C Sommer
- Section Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
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Weickert TW, Jacomb I, Lenroot R, Lappin J, Weinberg D, Brooks WS, Brown D, Pellen D, Kindler J, Mohan A, Wakefield D, Lloyd AR, Stanton C, O'Donnell M, Liu D, Galletly C, Shannon Weickert C. Adjunctive canakinumab reduces peripheral inflammation markers and improves positive symptoms in people with schizophrenia and inflammation: A randomized control trial. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 115:191-200. [PMID: 37848096 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clinical trials of anti-inflammatories in schizophrenia do not show clear and replicable benefits, possibly because patients were not recruited based on elevated inflammation status. Interleukin 1-beta (IL-1β) mRNA and protein levels are increased in serum, plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, and brain of some chronically ill patients with schizophrenia, first episode psychosis, and clinical high-risk individuals. Canakinumab, an approved anti-IL-1β monoclonal antibody, interferes with the bioactivity of IL-1β and interrupts downstream signaling. However, the extent to which canakinumab reduces peripheral inflammation markers, such as, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and symptom severity in schizophrenia patients with inflammation is unknown. TRIAL DESIGN We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel groups, 8-week trial of canakinumab in chronically ill patients with schizophrenia who had elevated peripheral inflammation. METHODS Twenty-seven patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and elevated peripheral inflammation markers (IL-1β, IL-6, hsCRP and/or neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio: NLR) were randomized to a one-time, subcutaneous injection of canakinumab (150 mg) or placebo (normal saline) as an adjunctive antipsychotic treatment. Peripheral blood hsCRP, NLR, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 levels were measured at baseline (pre injection) and at 1-, 4- and 8-weeks post injection. Symptom severity was assessed at baseline and 4- and 8-weeks post injection. RESULTS Canakinumab significantly reduced peripheral hsCRP over time, F(3, 75) = 5.16, p = 0.003. Significant hsCRP reductions relative to baseline were detected only in the canakinumab group at weeks 1, 4 and 8 (p's = 0.0003, 0.000002, and 0.004, respectively). There were no significant hsCRP changes in the placebo group. Positive symptom severity scores were significantly reduced at week 8 (p = 0.02) in the canakinumab group and week 4 (p = 0.02) in the placebo group. The change in CRP between week 8 and baseline (b = 1.9, p = 0.0002) and between week 4 and baseline (b = 6.0, p = 0.001) were highly significant predictors of week 8 change in PANSS Positive Symptom severity scores. There were no significant changes in negative symptoms, general psychopathology or cognition in either group. Canakinumab was well tolerated and only 7 % discontinued. CONCLUSIONS Canakinumab quickly reduces peripheral hsCRP serum levels in patients with schizophrenia and inflammation; after 8 weeks of canakinumab treatment, the reductions in hsCRP are related to reduced positive symptom severity. Future studies should consider increased doses or longer-term treatment to confirm the potential benefits of adjunctive canakinumab in schizophrenia. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number: ACTRN12615000635561.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W Weickert
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; School of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Isabella Jacomb
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rhoshel Lenroot
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; School of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Julia Lappin
- School of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - William S Brooks
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David Brown
- NSW Health Pathology-ICPMR, Centre for Immunology and Allergy Research, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Daniel Pellen
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jochen Kindler
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Adith Mohan
- School of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Denis Wakefield
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Andrew R Lloyd
- Viral Immunology Systems Program, Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Clive Stanton
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Maryanne O'Donnell
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; School of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Dennis Liu
- Discipline of Psychiatry, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Northern Adelaide Locah Health Network, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Cherrie Galletly
- Discipline of Psychiatry, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Northern Adelaide Locah Health Network, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; School of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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6
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Fond G, Mallet J, Urbach M, Benros ME, Berk M, Billeci M, Boyer L, Correll CU, Fornaro M, Kulkarni J, Leboyer M, Llorca PM, Misdrahi D, Rey R, Schürhoff F, Solmi M, Sommer IEC, Stahl SM, Pignon B, Berna F. Adjunctive agents to antipsychotics in schizophrenia: a systematic umbrella review and recommendations for amino acids, hormonal therapies and anti-inflammatory drugs. BMJ MENTAL HEALTH 2023; 26:e300771. [PMID: 37852631 PMCID: PMC10583081 DOI: 10.1136/bmjment-2023-300771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
QUESTION This umbrella review and guidelines aimed to provide evidence to support the rational choice of selected adjunctive therapies for schizophrenia. STUDY SELECTION AND ANALYSIS Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP)-grading recommendations, 63 randomised control trials (RCTs) (of which 4219 unique participants have completed the RCTs) and 29 meta-analyses were analysed. FINDINGS Provisional recommendations (WFSBP-grade 1) could be made for two molecules in augmentation to antipsychotics: (1) N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC, 1200-3600 mg/day, for >12 consecutive weeks) in improving negative symptoms, general psychopathology (positive and negative syndrome scale for schizophrenia (PANSS) general psychopathology factor (G)-G subscale), with the RCTs with the longer duration showing the most robust findings; (2) polyunsaturated fatty acids (3000 mg/day of eicosapentaenoic acid, for >12 weeks) in improving general psychopathology. Weaker recommendations (ie, WFSBP-grade 2) could be drawn for sarcosine (2 g/day) and minocycline (200-300 mg/day) for improving negative symptoms in chronic schizophrenia (not early schizophrenia), and NAC for improving positive symptoms and cognition. Weak recommendations are not ready for clinical practice. There is provisional evidence that oestrogens and raloxifene are effective in some patients, but further research is needed to determine their benefit/risk ratio. CONCLUSIONS The results of this umbrella review should be interpreted with caution as the number of RCTs included in the meta-analyses was generally small and the effect sizes were weak or medium. For NAC, two RCTs with low risk of bias have provided conflicting results and the WFSBP-grade recommendation included also the results of meta-analyses. These drugs could be provisionally prescribed for patients for whom no other treatments have been effective, but they should be discontinued if they prove ineffective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Fond
- Department of psychiatry, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Marseille, Marseille, France
- Fondation FondaMental, Creteil, France
- CEReSS-Health Service Research and Quality of Life Center, AMU, Marseille, France
| | - Jasmina Mallet
- Fondation FondaMental, Creteil, France
- Department of Psychiatry, Louis Mourier Hospital, Colombes, France
| | - Mathieu Urbach
- Fondation FondaMental, Creteil, France
- Department of Adult Psychiatry and Addictology, Centre Hospitalier de Versailles, Le Chesnay, France
| | - Michael Eriksen Benros
- Copenhagen Research Center for Biological and Precision Psychiatry, Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michael Berk
- Deakin University, School of Medicine, and Barwon Health; IMPACT, the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation; Orygen The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Martina Billeci
- Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences, and Dentistry, Section of Psychiatry, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Laurent Boyer
- CEReSS-Health Service Research and Quality of Life Center, AMU, Marseille, France
- Département d'information médicale, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Christoph U Correll
- Department of Psychiatry, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Molecular Medicine, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, NY, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michele Fornaro
- Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences, and Dentistry, Section of Psychiatry, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Jayashri Kulkarni
- Department of Psychiatry, Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Alfred Hospital and Monash University Central Clinical School, Monash University,607StKildaRd, Level4, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3004, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Marion Leboyer
- Fondation FondaMental, Creteil, France
- Department of psychiatry, Univ Paris-Est-Créteil (UPEC), AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires « H. Mondor », DMU IMPACT, INSERM U955, IMRB, translational Neuropsychiatry, F-94010 Creteil, France, Créteil, France
| | - Pierre-Michel Llorca
- Fondation FondaMental, Creteil, France
- Département de psychiatrie, Université Clermont Auvergne, CMP-B CHU, CNRS,Clermont Auvergne INP, Institut Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - David Misdrahi
- Fondation FondaMental, Creteil, France
- Departement de Psychiatrie Générale et Universitaire, Centre Hospitalier Charles Perrens; Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, UMR 5287, F-33000, INCIA, Bordeaux, France
| | - Romain Rey
- Fondation FondaMental, Creteil, France
- Schizophrenia Expert Centre, Le Vinatier Hospital; INSERM, U1028; CNRS, UMR5292; University Lyon 1; Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, PSYR2 Team, Lyon, France
| | - Franck Schürhoff
- Fondation FondaMental, Creteil, France
- Department of psychiatry, Univ Paris-Est-Créteil (UPEC), AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires « H. Mondor », DMU IMPACT, INSERM U955, IMRB, translational Neuropsychiatry, F-94010 Creteil, France, Créteil, France
| | - Marco Solmi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Mental Health, The Champlain First Episode Psychosis Program, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) Clinical Epidemiology Program University of Ottawa, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Iris E C Sommer
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Stephen M Stahl
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Baptiste Pignon
- Fondation FondaMental, Creteil, France
- Department of psychiatry, Univ Paris-Est-Créteil (UPEC), AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires « H. Mondor », DMU IMPACT, INSERM U955, IMRB, translational Neuropsychiatry, F-94010 Creteil, France, Créteil, France
| | - Fabrice Berna
- Fondation FondaMental, Creteil, France
- Psychiatry, Strasbourg University Hospital, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
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7
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Orbe EB, Benros ME. Immunological Biomarkers as Predictors of Treatment Response in Psychotic Disorders. J Pers Med 2023; 13:1382. [PMID: 37763150 PMCID: PMC10532612 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13091382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychotic disorders, notably schizophrenia, impose a detrimental burden on both an individual and a societal level. The mechanisms leading to psychotic disorders are multifaceted, with genetics and environmental factors playing major roles. Increasing evidence additionally implicates neuro-inflammatory processes within at least a subgroup of patients with psychosis. While numerous studies have investigated anti-inflammatory add-on treatments to current antipsychotics, the exploration of immunological biomarkers as a predictor of treatment response remains limited. This review outlines the current evidence from trials exploring the potential of baseline inflammatory biomarkers as predictors of the treatment effect of anti-inflammatory drugs as add-ons to antipsychotics and of antipsychotics alone. Several of the studies have found correlations between baseline immunological biomarkers and treatment response; however, only a few studies incorporated baseline biomarkers as a primary endpoint, and the findings thus need to be interpreted with caution. Our review emphasizes the need for additional research on the potential of repurposing anti-inflammatory drugs while utilizing baseline inflammatory biomarkers as a predictor of treatment response and to identify subgroups of individuals with psychotic disorders where add-on treatment with immunomodulating agents would be warranted. Future studies investigating the correlation between baseline inflammatory markers and treatment responses can pave the way for personalized medicine approaches in psychiatry centred around biomarkers such as specific baseline inflammatory biomarkers in psychotic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elif Bayram Orbe
- Copenhagen Research Centre for Biological and Precision Psychiatry, Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2900 Hellerup, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1172 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michael Eriksen Benros
- Copenhagen Research Centre for Biological and Precision Psychiatry, Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2900 Hellerup, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1172 Copenhagen, Denmark
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8
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Juckel G, Freund N. Microglia and microbiome in schizophrenia: can immunomodulation improve symptoms? J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2023; 130:1187-1193. [PMID: 36810627 PMCID: PMC10460707 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-023-02605-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
In this overview, influences of microglia activation and disturbances of the microbiome in the devastating disorder schizophrenia are discussed. Despite previous assumptions of a primary neurodegenerative character of this disorder, current research underlines the important autoimmunological and inflammatory processes here. Early disturbances of microglial cells as well as cytokines could lead to weakness of the immunological system in the prodromal phase and then fully manifest in patients with schizophrenia. Measurements of microbiome features might allow identifying the prodromal phase. In conclusion, such thinking would imply several new therapeutic options regulating immune processes by old or new anti-inflammatory agents in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Juckel
- Department of Psychiatry, Ruhr-University Bochum, LWL-University Hospital, Alexandrinenstr.1, 44791, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Nadja Freund
- Department of Psychiatry, Ruhr-University Bochum, LWL-University Hospital, Alexandrinenstr.1, 44791, Bochum, Germany
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9
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Weiser M, Levi L, Park J, Nastas I, Matei V, Davidson M, Arad I, Dudkiewicz I, Davis JM. A randomized controlled trial of add-on naproxen, simvastatin and their combination for the treatment of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2023; 73:65-74. [PMID: 37126871 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2023.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
This large randomized controlled trial examined the effect of naproxen, simvastatin or both on patients with schizophrenia. This was a large multi-center, twelve-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, four-arm clinical trial administering naproxen, simvastatin or both to 232 subjects with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. The primary outcome was change in PANSS total score. ANCOVA and mixed model analyses of the PANSS total score change showed no significant difference between naproxen and placebo (adjusted p = 0.78), simvastatin and placebo (adjusted p = 0.38) or the combination of naproxen and simvastatin compared to placebo (adjusted p = 0.72). No statistically significant drug-placebo differences were found in the PANSS subscales, CGI or BACS between all groups. There was a near significant improvement in negative symptoms (p = 0.06), and an analysis of the 5 factor PANSS factors analysis found a significant improvement in simvastatin above placebo in withdrawal (p = 0.03). These finding were not significant after correcting for multiple comparisons. A meta-analysis on changes in total PANSS scores in studies on statins in schizophrenia, including the present study together with six other studies showed a significant improvement for statins compared to placebo (Hedges' G of -0.245 (CI= -0.403, -0.086, p = 0.002). When one outlying study which showed particularly strong effects of statins was removed, part of the effect went away. In conclusion, in this study, naproxen and simvastatin alone or in combination were not efficacious in the treatment of symptoms in schizophrenia. However, the meta-analysis of all studies of simvastatin for schizophrenia indicates further research on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Weiser
- Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer 52621, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Linda Levi
- Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer 52621, Israel
| | - Jinyoung Park
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, USA
| | - Igor Nastas
- Department of Psychiatry, Narcology and Medical Psychology, State University of Medicine and Pharmacy Nicolae Testemitanu, Chișinău, Moldova
| | - Valentin Matei
- Department of Neuroscience, discipline of Psychiatry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Carol Davila", Bucharest, Romania
| | | | - Ido Arad
- Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer 52621, Israel
| | - Israel Dudkiewicz
- Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer 52621, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - John M Davis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
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10
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Bejerot S, Sigra Stein S, Welin E, Eklund D, Hylén U, Humble MB. Rituximab as an adjunctive treatment for schizophrenia spectrum disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder: Two open-label pilot studies on treatment-resistant patients. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 158:319-329. [PMID: 36638622 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In this explorative study, we investigated if an adjunctive treatment with one single dose of the monoclonal antibody rituximab would improve symptoms and function in treatment-resistant patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD, n = 9) or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD, n = 10), based on the inflammatory hypothesis for mental disorders. Patients were followed for one year. Disability was measured with the Personal and Social Performance score (PSP). At baseline, the mean PANSS score in the SSD group was 99 ± 32 and the mean Y-BOCS score in the OCD group was 27.5 ± 7. Mean PSP scores were 32 ± 10.2 and 42.5 ± 9.9 in the SSD and OCD groups, respectively. Seven had Paediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) in retrospect, and 3 SSD patients had schizo-obsessive subtype. 4/8 SSD patients showed a ≥40% reduction in PANSS at endpoint I week 20, however, 7/9 were similarly improved already at week 12. Among the OCD patients, 2/10 showed a ≥35% reduction in Y-BOCS at week 20. Disability was significantly improved only in the SSD group. The percentual decrease of PANSS scores in SSD patients was associated with the increase in immunoglobulin levels week 20 (n = 8: IgG r = 0.85, p = .007; IgA r = 0.79, p = .019; IgM r = 0.73, p = .038). Rituximab was generally well tolerated in these patients. Self-rated improvements since baseline were reported for psychic (p = .021), neurological (p = .059), and autonomic (p < .001) side effects (UKU-SERS-Pat side-effect scale). Anxiety was commonly reported by OCD patients, while an initial increase in psychotic symptoms was seen in a few SSD patients. An RCT is underway to evaluate rituximab in SSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Bejerot
- School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden; University Health Care Research Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Sweden; Inflammatory Response and Infection Susceptibility Centre, (iRiSC), Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
| | - Sofia Sigra Stein
- School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden; University Health Care Research Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Sweden.
| | - Elisabet Welin
- School of Health Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
| | - Daniel Eklund
- School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden; Inflammatory Response and Infection Susceptibility Centre, (iRiSC), Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
| | - Ulrika Hylén
- School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden; University Health Care Research Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Sweden; Inflammatory Response and Infection Susceptibility Centre, (iRiSC), Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
| | - Mats B Humble
- School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
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11
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Koch E, Kauppi K, Chen CH. Candidates for drug repurposing to address the cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 120:110637. [PMID: 36099967 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
In the protein-protein interactome, we have previously identified a significant overlap between schizophrenia risk genes and genes associated with cognitive performance. Here, we further studied this overlap to identify potential candidate drugs for repurposing to treat the cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia. We first defined a cognition-related schizophrenia interactome from network propagation analyses, and identified drugs known to target more than one protein within this network. Thereafter, we used gene expression data to further select drugs that could counteract schizophrenia-associated gene expression perturbations. Additionally, we stratified these analyses by sex to identify sex-specific pharmacological treatment options for the cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia. After excluding drugs contraindicated in schizophrenia, we identified 12 drug repurposing candidates, most of which have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. Sex-stratified analyses showed that out of these 12 drugs, four were identified in females only, three were identified in males only, and five were identified in both sexes. Based on our bioinformatics analyses of disease genetics, we suggest 12 candidate drugs that warrant further examination for repurposing to treat the cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia, and suggest that these symptoms could be addressed by sex-specific pharmacological treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Koch
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; NORMENT, Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Karolina Kauppi
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Chi-Hua Chen
- Department of Radiology and Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, University of California San Diego, USA.
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12
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Ballaz S, Bourin M. Anti-Inflammatory Therapy as a Promising Target in Neuropsychiatric Disorders. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1411:459-486. [PMID: 36949322 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-19-7376-5_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
This chapter analyzes the therapeutic potential of current anti-inflammatory drugs in treating psychiatric diseases from a neuro-immunological perspective. Based on the bidirectional brain-immune system relationship, the rationale is that a dysregulated inflammation contributes to the pathogenesis of psychiatric and neurological disorders, while the immunology function is associated with psychological variables like stress, affective disorders, and psychosis. Under certain social, psychological, and environmental conditions and biological factors, a healthy inflammatory response and the associated "sickness behavior," which are aimed to resolve a physical injury and microbial threat, become harmful to the central nervous system. The features and mechanisms of the inflammatory response are described across the main mental illnesses with a special emphasis on the profile of cytokines and the function of the HPA axis. Next, it is reviewed the potential clinical utility of immunotherapy (cytokine agonists and antagonists), glucocorticoids, unconventional anti-inflammatory agents (statins, minocycline, statins, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)), the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and particularly celecoxib, a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) inhibitor, as adjuvants of conventional psychiatric medications. The implementation of anti-inflammatory therapies holds great promise in psychiatry. Because the inflammatory background may account for the etiology and/or progression of psychiatric disorders only in a subset of patients, there is a need to elucidate the immune underpinnings of the mental illness progression, relapse, and remission. The identification of immune-related bio-signatures will ideally assist in the stratification of the psychiatric patient to predict the risk of mental disease, the prognosis, and the response to anti-inflammatory therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Ballaz
- School of Biological Science and Engineering, Yachay Tech University, Urcuquí, Ecuador
- Medical School, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Samborondón, Ecuador
| | - Michel Bourin
- Neurobiology of Anxiety and Mood Disorders, University of Nantes, Nantes, France.
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13
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Fitton R, Sweetman J, Heseltine-Carp W, van der Feltz-Cornelis C. Anti-inflammatory medications for the treatment of mental disorders: A scoping review. Brain Behav Immun Health 2022; 26:100518. [PMID: 36217374 PMCID: PMC9547233 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
This scoping review assessed the effect of anti-inflammatory medications in mental disorders. A search in Medline and the Cochrane database focusing on randomised controlled trials and systematic reviews identified 53 primary research articles, conducted in major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and somatic symptom disorders and related disorders (SSRD). The findings suggest that there is scope to consider the use of anti-inflammatory agents in mental disorders, however, not as a one-size-fits-all solution. Treatment could be especially helpful in subgroups with evidence of baseline inflammation. Anti-inflammatory medications that seem mostly effective in bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder, such as Celecoxib, Pioglitazone and statins, may differ from the ones with indications of effectiveness in schizophrenia, such as Minocycline and Aspirin. This might suggest a different underlying mechanism for treatment success in those two main illness groups. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed that take levels of inflammation markers into account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Fitton
- Kings College London, London, United Kingdom
- Tees Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust, Darlington, United Kingdom
- Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | | | - William Heseltine-Carp
- Hull York Medical School (HYMS), University of York, York, United Kingdom
- Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, United Kingdom
| | - Christina van der Feltz-Cornelis
- Tees Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust, Darlington, United Kingdom
- Dept of Health Sciences, University of York, York, United Kingdom
- Hull York Medical School (HYMS), University of York, York, United Kingdom
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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14
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Khan MM. Role of de novo lipogenesis in insulin resistance in first-episode psychosis and therapeutic options. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 143:104919. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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15
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Aichholzer M, Gangadin SS, Sommer IE, Wijkhuis A, de Witte LD, Kahn RS, Bahn S, Drexhage HA, Schiweck C. Inflammatory monocyte gene signature predicts beneficial within group effect of simvastatin in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders in a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial. Brain Behav Immun Health 2022; 26:100551. [PMID: 36405425 PMCID: PMC9668621 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune dysregulation has been reported in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD). In the past decade, several trials using anti-inflammatory agents for treatment of SSD have been completed, with so far limited success. One such anti-inflammatory agent used is simvastatin. A recent, large-scale, randomized controlled trial with simvastatin augmentation failed to show improvement in the predefined primary outcome. However, baseline inflammatory profiles were not taken into account. Here we employed a data-driven clustering approach to investigate whether patients with an inflammatory monocyte gene signature respond better to add-on simvastatin treatment than those without such a signature, over a treatment period of 2 years. In 61 patients (60 randomized, 1:1 placebo:simvastatin) and healthy controls, a previously validated monocyte gene expression signature was assessed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Resulting delta cycle threshold values were used to identify patient clusters. Two major patient clusters with either up- or downregulated pro-inflammatory factors were detected. Linear mixed models showed a significant three-way interaction between the inflammatory cluster, treatment, and time for psychotic symptoms. Only patients treated with simvastatin who were in the inflammatory group, showed a consistent improvement: symptom severity gradually decreased after 3 months and reached significance after 12 and 24 months compared to baseline (p.adj<0.05). The effects were small, and overall between-group effects were not significant. Here, we show that patient stratification based on inflammatory gene expression might be useful to select appropriate treatment augmentation for patients with SSD, highlighting the need for precision medicine approaches. Our findings corroborate the results of the primary analyses, showing that in the overall group, simvastatin was not effective; however, at the individual level the treatment might make a difference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mareike Aichholzer
- Department for Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt- Goethe University, Germany
| | - Shiral S. Gangadin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Iris E.C. Sommer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Annemarie Wijkhuis
- Department of Immunology Research, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Lot D. de Witte
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - René S. Kahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sabine Bahn
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Hemmo A. Drexhage
- Department of Immunology Research, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Carmen Schiweck
- Department for Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt- Goethe University, Germany
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16
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Sommer IE, Gangadin SS, de Witte LD, Koops S, van Baal C, Bahn S, Drexhage H, van Haren NEM, Veling W, Bruggeman R, Martens P, Wiersma S, Veerman SRT, Grootens KP, van Beveren N, Kahn RS, Begemann MJH. Simvastatin Augmentation for Patients With Early-Phase Schizophrenia-Spectrum Disorders: A Double-Blind, Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial. Schizophr Bull 2021; 47:1108-1115. [PMID: 33608711 PMCID: PMC8266622 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbab010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SSD) are associated with increased inflammatory markers, both in brain and periphery. Augmentation with drugs that lower this pro-inflammatory status may improve clinical presentation. Simvastatin crosses the blood-brain barrier, has anti- inflammatory and neuroprotective effects and reduces metabolic syndrome. In this study, we investigated if 12 months of simvastatin augmentation can improve symptoms and cognition in patients with early SSD. This double-blind placebo-controlled trial included 127 SSD patients across the Netherlands, <3 years after their diagnosis. From these, 119 were randomly assigned 1:1 to simvastatin 40 mg (n = 61) or placebo (n = 58), stratified for sex and study site. Primary outcomes were symptom severity and cognition after 12 months of treatment. Depression, symptom subscores, general functioning, metabolic syndrome, movement disorders, and safety were secondary outcomes. Intention to treat analyses were performed using linear mixed models and ANCOVA. No main effect of simvastatin treatment was found on total symptom severity after 12 months of treatment as compared to placebo (X2(1) = 0.01, P = .90). Group differences varied over time (treatment*time X2(4) = 11.2; P = .025), with significantly lower symptom severity in the simvastatin group after 6 months (mean difference = -4.8; P = .021; 95% CI: -8.8 to -0.7) and at 24 months follow-up (mean difference = -4.7; P = .040; 95% CI: -9.3 to -0.2). No main treatment effect was found for cognition (F(1,0.1) = 0.37, P = .55) or secondary outcomes. SAEs occurred more frequently with placebo (19%) than with simvastatin (6.6%). This negative finding corroborates other large scale studies on aspirin, minocycline, and celecoxib that could not replicate positive findings of smaller studies, and suggests that anti-inflammatory augmentation does not improve the clinical presentation of SSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris E Sommer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands,Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands,To whom correspondence should be addressed; Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; tel: +31625647485, e-mail:
| | - Shiral S Gangadin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Lot D de Witte
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Sanne Koops
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - C van Baal
- Department of Biostatics and Research Support, University Medical Center Utrecht, Julius Center, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Sabine Bahn
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Hemmo Drexhage
- Department of Immunology Research, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - N E M van Haren
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Wim Veling
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - R Bruggeman
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Peter Martens
- Reinier van Arkel Institute for Mental Health Care, ‘s Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands
| | - Sybren Wiersma
- Early Intervention Psychosis Team, GGZ inGeest Specialized Mental Health Care, Hoofddorp, the Netherlands
| | - Selene R T Veerman
- Community Mental Health, Mental Health Service Noord-Holland Noord, Alkmaar, The Netherlands
| | - Koen P Grootens
- Reinier van Arkel Institute for Mental Health Care, ‘s Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands
| | - Nico van Beveren
- Antes Center for Mental Health Care, Department of Neuroscience, and Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Rene S Kahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY,Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marieke J H Begemann
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
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