Key clinical point: In first-episode drug-naïve (FEDN) patients with schizophrenia, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and disturbance of oxidative stress status along with their interaction may play a role in the disease pathophysiology.

Major finding: Serum TNF-α and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were higher (P = .04 for both) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) level was lower (P = .03) in FEDN patients with schizophrenia than that in healthy individuals. Serum GSH-Px levels had a negative association with the presence of schizophrenia (P = .001), whereas serum TNF-α levels had an independent positive association with negative symptoms of schizophrenia (P less than .001). Interaction between TNF- α and MDA levels had a positive association with schizophrenia (P = .002).

Study details: This study compared peripheral blood serum TNF-α level and parameters of oxidative stress in 119 FEDN patients with schizophrenia and 135 healthy control individuals using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

Disclosures: This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China; Shanghai Jiao Tong University Medical Engineering Foundation; Excellent talent foundation of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine; and CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.