MS analysis of the plasma metabolome reveals major changes of amino acid and energy metabolism for early-onset schizophrenia

Objectives: Early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) is a severe and chronic mental disease that manifests during childhood and adolescence. There are currently no objective biomarkers to diagnose this psychosis. Recent research has shown that metabolic disorders are closely associated with the onset of schizophrenia, but there is a lack of evidence among children and adolescent populations. This study will analyze the metabolic characteristics of patients with early-onset schizophrenia through plasma metabolomics. Methods: We analyzed plasma from 13 EOS patients and 15 healthy controls using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF/MS) technology to identify potential biomarkers for EOS. The discriminative potential biomarkers in delineating EOS patients from controls. Results: A total of 22 different metabolites were found to be effective in differentiating EOS patients from healthy controls. EOS patients demonstrated statistically significant differences compared to the healthy control group, with 6 metabolites registering lower levels and 16 metabolites showing higher levels (P < 0.05). The main metabolic pathways involved include arachidonic acid metabolism, histidine metabolism, non-natural amino acid metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, and metabolism of exogenous substances mediated by cytochrome P450. Conclusions: These metabolites suggest that disturbances in amino acid and energy metabolism may be involved in the pathogenesis of EOS. The findings provide important clues for further understanding the pathogenesis of EOS and offer potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.