Levels of neuronal pentraxin 2 in plasma is associated with cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia

Rationale The precise diagnosis and treatment of cognitive impairment remains a major challenge in the field of schizophrenia (SCZ) research. Synaptic dysfunction and loss are thought to be closely related to the occurrence and development of SCZ and may be involved in cognitive dysfunction. Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate whether neuronal pentraxins (NPTXs) plays a role in the etiology of SCZ and provide evidence of its possible therapeutic value a new target for drug development. Methods We recruited 275 participants, of whom 148 were SCZ from psychiatric hospital and 127 healthy control (HC) subjects from communities. Plasma concentrations of NPTXs were measured in HC and SCZ at baseline and after 8 weeks of antipsychotic treatment. The MATRICS Cognitive Consensus Battery was used to evaluate cognitive function. Furthermore, the brain is parcellated into 246 subregions using the Brainnetome atlas, and we extracted regional white matter volumes from magnetic resonance images of the SCZ groups. Results Plasma NPTX2 levels were significantly lower in SCZ compared with HC subjects, but were significantly raised in SCZ after 8 weeks of antipsychotic treatment compared to baseline. In addition, baseline plasma NPTX2 levels were positively correlated with cognitive performance. Conclusions These findings indicate that NPTX2 may reveal novel aspects of disease etiology and act as a promising target for new drug development.