N Kudo, H Yamamori, T Ishima, K Nemoto, Y Yasuda, M Fujimoto, H Azechi, T Niitsu, S Numata, M Ikeda, M Iyo, T Ohmori, M Fukunaga, Y Watanabe, K Hashimoto and R Hashimoto,
Neuropsychopharmacology reportsREFERENCES, Feb 2020 05
Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) has been shown to modulate synaptic plasticity and may contribute to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. This study investigated the peripheral levels of MMP-9 and its association with cognitive functions in patients with schizophrenia to see the possible involvement of MMP-9 in pathophysiology of schizophrenia, especially in cognitive decline.We measured the plasma levels of MMP-9 in 257 healthy controls and 249 patients with schizophrenia, including antipsychotic drug-free patients. We also explored the possible association between plasma MMP-9 levels and cognitive performance in healthy controls and patients with schizophrenia using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Third Edition (WAIS- III), the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R), and the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT).We found that the plasma levels of MMP-9 were significantly higher in patients with schizophrenia, including antipsychotic drug-free patients, than in healthy controls. We found a significant negative association between plasma MMP-9 levels and cognitive performance in controls and patients with schizophrenia.Together, these convergent data suggest a possible biological mechanism for schizophrenia, whereby increased MMP-9 levels are associated with cognitive impairment.