Investigation of the Monocyte to High Density Lipoprotein Ratio as an Inflammatory Marker in Schizophrenia

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential relationship between MHR and schizophrenia.

Methodology: This case control study was conducted at the psychiatry department of a tertiary care hospital of a private medical college from 1/11/2022 to 31/04/2023, involving 60 subjects, with thirty diagnosed with schizophrenia according to DSM-5 criteria and thirty healthy controls. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was employed in the patient group to gauge the severity of schizophrenia. Peripheral venous blood was collected from all participants for the analysis of complete blood count parameters, including MHR, and the lipid profile (HDL cholesterol). Pearson’s correlation co-efficient was used for correlation analysis, P values of < 0.05 were considered as statistically significant.

Results: Patients with schizophrenia exhibited higher MHR values (15.25±3.16 in schizophrenia patients and 11.50±2.65 in controls; P = 0.001). Both monocyte counts and MHR in schizophrenia patients were significantly elevated compared to the control group. A noteworthy positive correlation was observed between age, body mass index, severity of disease, and MHR. Statistical analyses, including independent sample t-tests, chi-square tests, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient, were employed to explore relationships between study variables and calculate P values.

Conclusion: The utilization of the novel parameter MHR enabled the demonstration of an association between low-grade systemic inflammation and schizophrenia. This study underscores the validation of MHR as a valuable marker in psychiatric patients with schizophrenia, warranting further research to explore the utility of this simple and cost-effective instrument.