Plasma fatty acid-binding protein 7 concentration correlates with depression/anxiety, cognition, and positive symptom in patients with schizophrenia

Because of the involvement of the brain in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders, obtaining information on the biochemical features that directly contribute to symptoms is challenging. The present study aimed to assess fatty acid-binding protein 7 (FABP7) expressed specifically in the brain and detectable in the peripheral blood and to investigate the correlation between blood FABP7 concentration and symptoms. We recruited 30, 29, and 35 patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression and evaluated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-21), respectively. Plasma FABP7 concentrations correlated with PANSS scores (R2 = 0.3305, p < 0.001) but not with other scales. In the analysis of the relationship between five dimensions of schizophrenia symptoms derived from the PANSS 5-factor model and measured plasma FABP7 concentrations, severities of depression/anxiety, cognition, and positive symptom were significantly correlated with plasma FABP7 concentrations. Further molecular investigation of the functional and kinetic analyses of FABP7 is necessary to understand the relationship of this protein with schizophrenia pathology. Nevertheless, the present study suggests that FABP7 can be a biological indicator reflecting the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and has potential applications as a biomarker for diagnosis and symptom assessment.