AUTHOR=Liu Jiahong , Xiu Meihong , Liu Haixia , Wang Jun , Li Xirong 

TITLE=Plasma Lysophosphatidylcholine and Lysophosphatidylethanolamine Levels Were Associated With the Therapeutic Response to Olanzapine in Female Antipsychotics-naïve First-episode Patients With Schizophrenia

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2021.735196

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2021.735196

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=Background: Accumulating studies have shown that the pathophysiology of schizophrenia may be associated with aberrant lysophospolipids metabolism in the early stage of brain development. Recently, robust evidence demonstrates that the antipsychotic medication can regulate the phospholipase activity. However, it remains unclear whether lysophospolipid is associated with the therapeutic response to antipsychotics in schizophrenia. This study aimed to investigate the influence of olanzapine monotherapy on lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) and the association between improvement of symptoms and changes of LPC and LPE in antipsychotic-naïve first-episode (ANFE) patients. 
Materials and Methods: The psychotic symptoms were evaluated by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). 25 ANFE patients were treated with olanzapine for 1 month. The levels of LPC and LPE were determined and psychotic symptoms were assessed at baseline and at 1-month follow-up. 
Results: Relative to baseline, the psychotic symptoms were significantly relieved after olanzapine treatment, except for negative symptoms. Moreover, the levels of most LPC and LPE increased after treatment. Interestingly, the increased LPC(18:3) and LPC(20:2) levels were positively associated with the reduction rates of PANSS positive subscore. In addition, the baseline levels of LPE(20:5), LPE(18:3) and LPE(22:5) were predictors for the reductions of positive symptoms. 
Conclusion: We demonstrated an association between the lysophospolipids and the improvement of positive symptoms, indicating that LPC may be a potential therapeutic target for olanzapine in schizophrenia. Moreover, baseline LPE levels were predictive biomarkers for the therapeutic response to olanzapine treatment in the early stage of treatment in ANFE patients.