Chen Long, Li Wenzheng, Mo Daming, Meng Xiaojing, Yao Lihui, Zhang Xulai, Liu HuanZhong
Department of Psychiatry, Hefei Fourth People's Hospital, Hefei, People's Republic of China.
Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China.
Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2025 Sep 5;21:1955-1971. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S523570. eCollection 2025.
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a complex, multifactorial neurodevelopmental disorder characterized as a severe mental illness. Despite extensive research, its etiology and pathogenesis remain largely elusive. Recent studies suggest that the intestinal microbiota and its metabolites may play critical roles in the onset and regulation of SZ. This study aims to examine the characteristics of the intestinal microbiota and metabolomics in patients with SZ and to explore their correlation with clinical symptoms.
This study involved thirty-five patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (SZ group) and thirty healthy control participants (HC group). Fecal samples were collected and analyzed using microbiome (16S rRNA gene sequencing) and metabolome (UPLC-MS) techniques. Bioinformatics and statistical analyses were conducted to interpret the data.
Age, sex, and BMI were comparable between the SZ and HC groups. Microbial diversity sequencing identified 837 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) across both groups. Although alpha diversity metrics showed no significant difference, beta diversity metrics revealed notable disparities. At the genus level, differences were observed in nine bacterial groups: . At the family level, showed significant variations. Metabolomics analysis identified 946 metabolites, with 54 showing significant differences, primarily in caffeine metabolism and cysteine and methionine metabolism. Notably, correlations were found between differential gut microbes and metabolites, and between these metabolites and psychiatric clinical symptoms.
The study reveals significant abnormalities in the intestinal flora and metabolites of SZ patients, correlating with clinical severity. These findings offer new insights into the interactions between the gut microbiome and metabolites, potentially contributing to the understanding of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
精神分裂症（SZ）是一种复杂的、多因素的神经发育障碍，被视为一种严重的精神疾病。尽管进行了广泛研究，但其病因和发病机制在很大程度上仍不清楚。最近的研究表明，肠道微生物群及其代谢产物可能在SZ的发病和调节中起关键作用。本研究旨在检查SZ患者的肠道微生物群和代谢组学特征，并探讨它们与临床症状的相关性。
本研究纳入了35名被诊断为精神分裂症的患者（SZ组）和30名健康对照参与者（HC组）。收集粪便样本并使用微生物组（16S rRNA基因测序）和代谢组（UPLC-MS）技术进行分析。进行生物信息学和统计分析以解释数据。
SZ组和HC组在年龄、性别和BMI方面具有可比性。微生物多样性测序在两组中鉴定出837个可操作分类单元（OTU）。虽然α多样性指标没有显示出显著差异，但β多样性指标显示出明显差异。在属水平上，观察到九个细菌组存在差异： 。在科水平上， 显示出显著变化。代谢组学分析鉴定出946种代谢产物，其中54种显示出显著差异，主要在咖啡因代谢以及半胱氨酸和甲硫氨酸代谢方面。值得注意的是，在差异肠道微生物与代谢产物之间以及这些代谢产物与精神科临床症状之间发现了相关性。
该研究揭示了SZ患者肠道菌群和代谢产物存在显著异常，与临床严重程度相关。这些发现为肠道微生物群与代谢产物之间的相互作用提供了新的见解，可能有助于理解精神分裂症的病理生理学。
