This present study aimed to investigate the sex-specific association of plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) with cognition in drug-naïve schizophrenia patients for the first time. A total of 204 participants in this study, including 137 drug-naïve schizophrenia (DNS) patients and 67 healthy controls (HCs). All participants completed the Measurements and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB), and were collected fasting venous blood for NGAL measurement. DNS patients also complete the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Partial correlation analysis and multiple linear regression were used to explore sex-specific associations between NGAL and cognition. All dimensions of MCCB scores were significantly lower in both male and female DNS patients than HCs. Sex differences were significant in cognitive performance in both DNS patients and HCs. Female DNS patients experienced poorer working memory and reason& problem solving than male patients. Female HCs performed a better attention/vigilance and visual learning, a poorer reason& problem solving than male HCs. In patients with DNS, NGAL levels were negatively associated with positive subscale of PANSS and positively associated with working memory and visual learning only in female. However, there was no significant correlation between NGAL levels and all cognitive tests in both male and female HCs. Regression model showed that higher level of NGAL was an independent protective factor for cognitive performance in female patients with DNS, whereas there was no such role in male patients. Our findings suggest sex specificity between NGAL levels and cognitive performance in DNS patients.

中文翻译：

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血浆中性粒细胞明胶酶相关脂质运载蛋白（NGAL）与初治精神分裂症患者认知的性别特异性关联


本研究旨在首次调查血浆中性粒细胞明胶酶相关脂质运载蛋白（NGAL）与初治精神分裂症患者认知的性别特异性关联。这项研究共有 204 名参与者，其中包括 137 名未曾用药的精神分裂症 (DNS) 患者和 67 名健康对照 (HC)。所有参与者均完成了改善精神分裂症认知的测量和治疗研究（MATRICS）共识认知电池（MCCB），并收集空腹静脉血进行 NGAL 测量。 DNS 患者还完成阳性和阴性综合征量表 (PANSS)。使用偏相关分析和多元线性回归来探索 NGAL 和认知之间的性别特异性关联。男性和女性 DNS 患者的 MCCB 评分的所有维度均显着低于 HC。 DNS 患者和 HC 的认知表现存在显着的性别差异。女性 DNS 患者的工作记忆以及推理和问题解决能力比男性患者差。与男性 HC 相比，女性 HC 表现出更好的注意力/警觉性和视觉学习能力，但推理能力和问题解决能力较差。在 DNS 患者中，NGAL 水平与 PANSS 的正分量表呈负相关，仅在女性中与工作记忆和视觉学习呈正相关。然而，在男性和女性 HC 中，NGAL 水平与所有认知测试之间没有显着相关性。回归模型显示，较高水平的NGAL是女性DNS患者认知能力的独立保护因素，而男性患者则没有这种作用。我们的研究结果表明，DNS 患者的 NGAL 水平和认知表现之间存在性别特异性。