4.1. Inflammation and Oxidative-Nitrosative Stress and the Severity of Psychopathological Symptoms in Schizophrenia
This study showed that a higher severity of OS expressed by OSI and higher concentrations of products of protein (AOPP, AGE, N-formKYN) and lipid (MDA) oxidation processes are associated with greater severity of psychopathological symptoms in schizophrenia.
The OSI parameter identifies a shift in the oxidation-reduction balance towards oxidative processes. As reported by Juchnowicz et al. when compared with HC, schizophrenia patients, regardless of stage, exhibited several times higher TOS and OSI values, and these parameters were considered a risk marker for the development of the disease. However, in contrast to the results of the present study, no association was found between OSI levels and the severity of schizophrenia symptoms [
38]. Other researchers found higher OSI levels in patients with marked deficit symptoms, in remission and with chronic illness compared to patients without deficit symptoms and those who did not achieve remission [
39,
40]. In the study by Sertan Copoglu et al. an association between oxidative DNA damage and the severity of schizophrenia symptoms was demonstrated. Patients not in remission showed higher levels of TOS, OSI and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanine (8-OHdG), a marker of oxidative DNA damage, and reduced levels of TAS. In contrast, patients in remission showed a positive correlation between TOS and OSI levels and 8-OH-dG [
40].
AOPP is a sensitive marker of oxidative damage to proteins, particularly albumin, as well as fibrinogen and lipoproteins [
41]. Oxidized proteins have an ability to activate the inflammatory response and can also induce a sudden release of large amounts of ROS by neutrophils and the production of chemotactic factors for inflammatory cells. They also stimulate the production of IL-8 and TNF-α by monocytes. Due to the above properties, AOPP is considered a marker and mediator of the proinflammatory effect of OS [
42]. In relation to the results of the present study, it can therefore be speculated that inflammation may be a factor associated with the severity of psychopathological symptoms. This was also suggested by other reports. Zhang et al. stated that the cytokine system’s dysregulation and oxidative stress may induce clinical symptoms of schizophrenia [
43]. Liemburg et al. found that CRP was associated with positive and negative symptom severity in a large sample of outpatients with chronic schizophrenia. Higher concentrations of the proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6 were related to a deficit syndrome, while the TNF-α level was associated with negative symptom severity [
44]. Guidara et al. also demonstrated an effect of AOPP levels on the severity of schizophrenia symptoms [
45]. On the other hand, in a study by Juchnowicz et al. this parameter was related to the age of the patients and the duration of the illness, but no relationship was found with symptom severity [
46].
AGEs, including methylglyoxal and 3-deoxyglucosone, are formed during the oxidation of lipids, glucose and amino acids. They are highly reactive and, as with AOPPs, tend to accumulate, generate ROS and induce inflammation [
45]. The binding of AGEs to the membrane receptor of macrophages, myocytes, neurons and other cells results in the increased synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines and secondary production of ROS. AGEs also decrease the antioxidant potential by modifying and inactivating CAT, GPx and superoxide dismutase (SOD) [
47]. Juchnowicz et al. found higher levels of AGE in patients with schizophrenia compared to the healthy controls [
46]. A systematic review by Kouidrat et al. also found an accumulation of AGEs in patients with schizophrenia [
48].
The level of MDA, a product of lipid peroxidation, along with the concentration of protein oxidation and glycation products, was associated in our study with greater severity of pathological symptoms in the study group of schizophrenia patients. The results from studies to date show an increase in lipid peroxidation in schizophrenia, and this is also supported by meta-analyses [
8,
49,
50]. Arvindagshan et al. also showed that the severity of lipid peroxidation, as measured by the level of end-products of the process, was associated with symptom severity in schizophrenic patients [
51]. Recent research indicated a positive correlation between the PANSS-P score and MDA as well as CRP levels in FEP drug-naïve patients. Dudzinska et al. suggested that MDA may be an early indicator of ongoing low-grade inflammation [
52]. Lipid peroxidation causes structural and functional damage to cell membrane phospholipids and polysaturated fatty acids [
53]. Guidara et al. suggested that the specific behavioral symptomatology of schizophrenia may be related to arachidonic acid oxidative damage and its consequences for central nervous system (CNS) neurochemistry [
45].
The present study also found an association between the severity of psychopathological symptoms in PANSS and levels of N-formKYN and KYN: compounds that are products of tryptophan oxidation. Juchnowicz et al. also found an association between greater severity of psychopathological symptoms in PANSS and higher KYN and lower TAS levels in patients with schizophrenia [
38]. Metabolism within KP provides neuroactive kynurenine derivatives that may significantly influence the pathophysiology of schizophrenia by modulating dopaminergic, glutamatergic and nicotinergic transmission and disrupting the oxidative-reduction balance. Kynurenic acid (KYNA), an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist, has a neuroprotective effect at normal concentrations, whereas at elevated concentrations it leads to excessive NMDAR blockade, contributing to psychotic symptoms and cognitive deficits [
18]. Other metabolites of KP, such as 3-hydroxykynurenine and the NMDAR agonist quinolinic acid, have neurotoxic and neurodegenerative effects [
19]. In our study, the levels of only the initial KP metabolites were assessed, so it is not possible to draw conclusions regarding a direct effect of all KP metabolites on the clinical picture in schizophrenia. However, it appears that the association between N-formKYN and KYN levels and the severity of psychopathological symptoms may be explained by increased tryptophan metabolism within KP and possibly increased levels of downstream, neurotoxic metabolites.
4.2. Biochemical Markers Associated with Increased Positive Symptoms in Schizophrenia
A multivariate regression model analysis showed that higher OS as measured by TOS together with higher KYN concentrations were a predictor of higher positive symptom severity in the study group. As described above, KP metabolites may have pro-oxidant and neurotoxic effects. Previous studies indicate that there is a relationship between inflammatory markers, OS and KP metabolites and the severity of positive symptoms.
It was shown that the severity of positive symptoms in schizophrenia is associated with higher levels of KYN and ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) [
38]. KYN was also postulated to be a biomarker in monitoring the progress of treatment [
54]. SOD was also found to be negatively correlated with positive symptom severity, but this was not confirmed in the meta-analysis by Flatow et al. [
7,
55,
56]. Dietrich-Muszalska et al. instead showed an association between the severity of positive symptoms and the severity of lipid peroxidation [
57]. They also found a correlation between levels of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1, IL-7 and IL-8 and the severity of delusions [
58].
4.3. Biochemical Markers Associated with the Severity of Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia
Statistical modeling of the obtained data showed that a shift in the oxidation-reduction balance towards oxidative processes expressed by increased lipid peroxidation along with lower GSH and BDNF levels is associated with greater severity of negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Previous studies confirmed the association between antioxidant potential and the severity of negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Li et al. showed a negative correlation between TAS levels and negative symptoms in patients with first episode psychosis (FEP). Moreover, they found that the presence of OS at the onset of psychosis influenced the subsequent course of the illness, especially the development of negative symptoms [
59]. The results of the study by Albayrak et al. confirmed these relationships. Patients with persistent negative symptoms were found to have lower levels of TAS and higher levels of OSI compared to patients with non-deficit schizophrenia and healthy controls (HC). They also showed that higher CAT levels in patients with schizophrenia were associated with a lower risk of negative symptoms, shorter duration of illness and fewer episodes [
39]. The results of a study by Juchnowicz et al. also showed an association of FRAP, CAT and dityrosine levels with the severity of negative symptoms [
38].
The association of negative symptoms with GSH levels shown in this study is consistent with the results of previous studies and the meta-analysis by Flatow et al. [
7,
9]. In the study by Matsuzawa et al. greater negative symptom severity was associated with lower GSH levels in the posterior medial frontal cortex of patients with schizophrenia [
60]. Maes et al. also found a greater reduction in GSH levels in schizophrenia patients with predominantly negative symptoms [
61]. Decreased levels of GSH and the efficiency of the antioxidant system along with increased sensitivity to OS may influence various pathophysiological processes found in schizophrenia, including the impairment of dopaminergic neurotransmission and NMDAR responses to glutamate [
62]. GSH has a direct effect on glutamatergic neurotransmission through interaction with NMDARs, and NMDAR activity enhances and regulates GSH metabolism [
63]. GSH levels increase in response to the glutamate-dependent excitatory activity of parvalbumin-induced GABAergic interneurons (PVIs) in the prefrontal cortex, leading to its downregulation and protecting neurons from OS. Decreased NMDAR activity contributes to GSH deficits and increased OS in the CNS, and in turn, even transient GSH deficiency leads to decreased NMDAR activity [
64]. As a consequence, the inhibitory activity of PVIs as well as their number is reduced, which result in an excitatory–inhibitory imbalance in the CNS [
63,
65]. GSH deficiency also contributes to myelination abnormalities, which may have a significant impact on the deterioration of cognitive function in schizophrenia [
3]. A negative correlation was also found between the activity of GPx, an enzyme belonging to the glutathione system, and the severity of cerebral atrophy in patients with chronic schizophrenia [
66]. Impaired antioxidant activity and its influence on structural and functional changes in the CNS may explain the association between lower GSH levels and greater severity of negative symptoms.
The study also found a negative effect of MDA and a positive effect of BDNF on the severity of deficit symptoms in schizophrenia. Elevated levels of MDA and a decreased proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids were reported in patients with negative symptoms, suggesting that oxidative damage may implicate this clinical dimension [
67]. In addition, the association of reduced BDNF levels with the severity of negative symptoms in schizophrenia is supported by some studies [
68,
69]. Others do not show this relationship [
22,
70]. In patients with bipolar affective disorder, a negative correlation was found between plasma BDNF and lipid peroxidation product levels, which may indicate that BDNF protects neurons from damage resulting from OS [
71]. The neuroprotective role of BDNF is documented in many studies. The antiapoptotic effect is associated with the activation of the intracellular signaling cascade by the receptor of the tyrosine kinase B family (TrkB), towards which BDNF has high affinity [
72]. In an in vitro study, BDNF was found to protect cortical neurons from NMDA- and H
2O
2-induced apoptosis by inhibiting the mitogen-activated kinase (MAPK) cascade [
73]. The use of exogenous BDNF significantly inhibited the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the black matter caused by oxidative damage to cells [
74].
4.4. Biochemical Markers Associated with the Severity of Cognitive Impairment in Schizophrenia
We assessed six domains of cognitive function: verbal memory, working memory, verbal fluency, motor speed, attention and speed of information processing and executive functions. The results of our study suggest that higher levels of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia may be associated with more intense protein oxidation as measured by AOPP levels, lower plasma antioxidant potential as measured by TAS and greater severity of depressive symptoms. The predictive value of TAS as a biomarker of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia has been shown. Martinez-Cengotitabengoa et al. found a positive correlation of the TAS level with total cognitive performance both at FEP and after 2 years of illness [
75].
In the study population, the levels of all assessed cognitive functions were below the norms adopted for healthy individuals. The largest deficit was in WM, the dysfunction of which is considered one of the primary disorders of the schizophrenic process [
76]. A significant effect of lower TAS and higher N-formKYN concentrations on greater severity of WM impairment was found. Martinez-Cengotitabengoa et al. also showed a correlation between TAS levels and working memory performance in a group of patients with non-affective psychosis both at FEP and after a follow-up of 2 years [
75]. The shift of tryptophan metabolism towards KP associated with the production of neurotoxic metabolites may have a significant impact on WM impairment in schizophrenia. Many studies have documented the adverse effects of KP metabolites on cognitive function in schizophrenia. Kindler et al. showed that higher values of the KYN/tryptophan ratio were associated with reduced volumes of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a region crucial for normal WM function, and more severe attention disorders and increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines [
77]. Koola et al. showed that peripheral levels of KYN and KYNA can be an indicator of the degree of cognitive deterioration and a useful marker for monitoring treatment effects [
54].
EF as well as ASP also show significant deterioration in schizophrenia [
70,
76,
78]. These manifest as difficulties with stimulus selection and a tendency to process irrelevant information, which can lead to misinterpretation of percepts. Some authors indicated a positive correlation of ASP and EF performance with BDNF levels [
79,
80]. The severity of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia, including attention and EF, has also been found to be associated with immune activation and cytokine levels. Perkins et al. documented the correlation of proinflammatory IL-1, IL-7 and IL-8 levels with the severity of attention deficits [
58]. In contrast, analyses using statistical models showed an association of EF disorders with interactions between BDNF and IL-8, BDNF and TNF-α, BDNF and SOD and BDNF and MDA [
70,
81]. This study did not find any associations between ASP or EF impairment severity and IL-6 levels, duration of illness, BDNF levels or other symptom severity. In our results, the levels of NO, ONOO
− and AOPP correlated negatively with ASP and EF scores, but statistical modeling did not include these parameters as predictors of EF or ASP scores. Nevertheless, the associations we found may imply a negative effect of OS and NS on these cognitive domains. As AOPP is considered a marker and a mediator of the proinflammatory effect of OS, it may confirm an important role of inflammation in ASP and EF impairment in schizophrenia [
45]. The deleterious effects of NO are mainly related to the highly reactive products of its metabolism, including ONOO
−, which reacts with downstream molecules, leading to increased levels of RNS, ROS and increased lipid and protein oxidation. The negative effect of NO on assessed cognitive functions may be a consequence of increased glutamatergic excitotoxicity. NO is a mediator of NMDAR activation, and its concentration reflects glutamatergic transmission in the CNS [
82]. Wang et al. found a negative correlation of NO levels with information processing speed, working memory performance and verbal learning [
83]. The results of this study, like ours, indicated a negative effect of NO and related NS on cognitive function in schizophrenia.
4.6. Limitations
When interpreting the results presented in this study, it is important to take into account the limitations. The study did not include an HC group. Therefore, it cannot be concluded whether the measured parameters’ levels significantly differed between schizophrenia patients and HC.
The second limitation is a relatively small size of the study group. Moreover, it was comprised of hospitalized patients only, which may imply a greater severity of symptoms and poorer functioning than in the general population of schizophrenic patients. All study subjects were on antipsychotic treatment, taking different antipsychotics and the duration of treatment was variable. Previous studies are inconsistent regarding the effects of antipsychotics on oxidative stress markers. Some researchers postulated that typical antipsychotics increase oxidants and decrease antioxidants, while atypical antipsychotics cause the opposite effect [
88,
89]. On the other hand, it was shown that atypical antipsychotics may increase OS and decrease antioxidant activity [
90,
91]. However, studies of previously untreated individuals with FEP show that abnormalities in the biochemical factors studied appear early in the course of schizophrenia, which suggests that they may be a part of disease pathophysiology independently from pharmacotherapy [
59]. Our study showed no significant differences in the measured parameters between the groups of patients taking different antipsychotics. However, an influence of pharmacotherapy cannot be excluded.
The majority of the study group were smokers. Although no significant differences in study factors were found between the smoking and non-smoking patients, a significant effect of nicotinism on the parameters of inflammation and oxidation-reduction balance cannot be excluded. Studies have shown an association between chronic smoking and levels of some OS and NS parameters, including AGE and NO [
92,
93]. The physiological process of aging also involves changes in factors related to the oxidation-reduction balance. With age, there is a decrease in the activity of antioxidant enzymes and an increase in the oxidative potential and the concentration of lipid peroxidation products [
53]. It has also been shown that age-related decreases in GSH levels are more strongly expressed in schizophrenia. The study did not show any correlation between the age of the patients and the parameters assessed. However, the influence of aging-related processes on the results and the correlations found also cannot be excluded. The study assessed only biochemical parameters from peripheral blood. Based on the available data, it was assumed that the concentration/activity of the examined factors in peripheral blood correlated with values in the CNS [
94,
95]. In order to confirm the correlations shown and the validity of the conclusions drawn from them, it would be worth extending the methodology to neuroimaging studies.
Moreover, the measured biochemical parameters are not specific to schizophrenia and may be involved in the pathophysiology of various psychiatric and somatic diseases. To minimize the influence of other medical conditions, subjects with comorbid psychiatric disorders, somatic diseases and clinical or laboratory signs of inflammation were not included in the study. In order to increase the sensitivity and specificity of the correlations found, in addition to the analysis of associations between individual factors, statistical modeling methods were applied to the data. The levels of studied biochemical parameters may be influenced by factors that were not included in the study, such as diet or physical activity [
46].