title: Combining serum protein concentrations to diagnose schizophrenia: a preliminary exploration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is difficult for clinicians to diagnose schizophrenia solely based on interviews. We explored the diagnostic efficiency and predictive capability of serum biomarkers for schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Levels of β nerve growth factor (β-NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interferon γ (IFN-γ), calcium binding protein S100β, myelin basic protein (MBP), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were measured in the sera of 278 schizophrenia patients, 240 depression and bipolar disorder patients, and 260 healthy controls. DSM-IV-TR criteria were used as the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia and depressive and bipolar disorders. The diagnostic efficiency was high in patients with schizophrenia compared with the healthy controls. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to ascertain the diagnostic efficiency of the 8 proteins. Data were collected between July 2010 and December 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One-way analysis of variance significantly demonstrated lower serum BDNF, MBP, and GFAP levels (F = 16.504, P < .001; F = 207.209, P < .001; F = 33.668, P < .001, respectively) but higher serum IL-6 and S100β concentrations (F = 15.250, P < .001; F = 12.751, P < .001, respectively) among patients with schizophrenia. ROC analysis of the discriminant scores of the serum β-NGF, BDNF, IL-6, S100β, MBP, and GFAP levels resulted in significant discrimination between the schizophrenia and control groups (AUC = 0.922) and the depressive/bipolar disorder and control groups (AUC = 0.762).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum levels of 6 proteins (but not TNF-α and IFN-γ) contribute most to the diagnosis of schizophrenia. These proteins may prove to be useful adjuncts for the clinical assessment of this disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Qiuxia
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Diana Xiao
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: Han Huang
authors.forename: Hadzlinda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zainal
authors.forename: Xiufeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000097:blood; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000097:blood*; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000097:blood*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012372:ROC Curve; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit / Q000097:blood*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D015850:Interleukin-6; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C579455:BDNF protein, human; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor