Plasma G72 protein in schizophrenia: A comparative analysis of drug-naive schizophrenia patients, patients in acute exacerbation and healthy controls

Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder with an unclear etiopathogenesis. This study investigates the plasma G72 protein levels in drug-naive schizophrenia patients (DNS), those in acute psychotic episodes (AES), and healthy controls (HC). It also examines the correlation between the plasma G72 protein levels and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores. The study included 138 schizophrenia patients (84 DNS, 54 AES) and 83 HCs. Plasma G72 protein levels were measured by ELISA. Statistical analyses, including log-transformation and correlation analysis, were conducted. Schizophrenia patients had significantly lower plasma G72 levels than HCs (4.39 ± 5.38 vs. 8.06 ± 10.27 ng/mL, p