The aim of the present study was to explore the role of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) related amino acids in drug-naive first episode psychosis (FEP) patients. The medication naïve patients with FEP (n = 40) and healthy volunteers with no family history of schizophrenia (n = 35) were recruited to the study and followed up for 10 weeks. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method was used to measure plasma levels of the amino acids. The plasma glutamine, glutamic acid, proline, serine, asparagine, and hydroxyproline levels were significantly higher in the FEP patients compared to healthy controls (p values < .0001). The glutamine/glutamic acid ratio in FEP patients was not different from the healthy controls (p > .05). After the antipsychotic treatment, plasma glutamic acid, proline, and hydroxyproline levels were significantly increased (p values < .05) while the asparagine level and glutamine/glutamic acid ratio were decreased (p values < .05). The serine and glutamine levels did not show any differences with the treatment (p > .05). The initial plasma glutamine levels were negatively correlated with the initial Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS) score (r = -.45, p = .003). The initial plasma proline levels were negatively correlated with the initial and follow-up SAPS scores (r = -.51 and -.39, p values < .05). The initial plasma proline and hydroxyproline levels were both negatively correlated with the initial Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale score (r = -.37, p = .017 and r = -.33, p = .033, respectively). Increase in NMDAR-related amino acid levels during the FEP may be a compensatory response to glutamatergic hypofunction. Their plasma levels were significantly correlated with several psychotic symptoms before and after 10-week treatment. Antipsychotic treatment has differential effects on the plasma levels of these amino acids.

中文翻译：

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首发性精神病中NMDAR相关氨基酸的改变。

本研究的目的是探讨N-甲基-D-天门冬氨酸受体（NMDAR）相关氨基酸在未使用过药物的首发性精神病（FEP）患者中的作用。招募了未接受过FEP治疗的纯药物治疗患者（n = 40）和无精神分裂症家族史的健康志愿者（n = 35）参加研究，并进行了10周的随访。液相色谱-质谱法用于测定氨基酸的血浆水平。与健康对照组相比，FEP患者的血浆谷氨酰胺，谷氨酸，脯氨酸，丝氨酸，天冬酰胺和羟脯氨酸水平显着更高（p值<.0001）。FEP患者的谷氨酰胺/谷氨酸比率与健康对照组无差异（p> .05）。抗精神病药物治疗后，血浆谷氨酸，脯氨酸，羟脯氨酸水平显着升高（p值<0.05），而天冬酰胺水平和谷氨酰胺/谷氨酸比降低（p值<0.05）。丝氨酸和谷氨酰胺水平与治疗无差异（p> .05）。初始血浆谷氨酰胺水平与评估阳性症状（SAPS）评分的初始量表呈负相关（r = -.45，p = .003）。初始血浆脯氨酸水平与初始和随访SAPS评分呈负相关（r = -.51和-.39，p值<.05）。初始血浆脯氨酸和羟脯氨酸水平均与初始简短精神病评定量表得分负相关（分别为r = -.37，p = .017和r = -.33，p = .033）。FEP期间NMDAR相关氨基酸水平的升高可能是对谷氨酸能功能减退的补偿性反应。在治疗10周之前和之后，他们的血浆水平与多种精神病症状显着相关。抗精神病药物治疗对这些氨基酸的血浆水平有不同的影响。