Table 4.
Comparison of serum levels of AAs (γmoles) and BAs (γmoles) between the first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients (n = 36) at baseline (before treatment with antipsychotics, FEPb) and after 7-month treatment (FEPf) (n = 36) with antipsychotics.
| Biomarkers | FEPb | FEPf | Z-value | p-value | Effect size (η2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median (min–max) | Median (min–max) | ||||
| AMINO ACIDS | |||||
| Alanine (Ala) | 343 (206–673) | 418 (294–750) | 2.66 | 0.008 | 0.10 |
| Aspartate (Asp) | 38.7 (18.8–62.9) | 29.0 (17.7–57.4) | 2.50 | 0.01 | 0.09 |
| Histidine (His) | 82.6 (61.5–106) | 93.1 (73.3–132) | 3.75 | 0.0002 | 0.20 |
| Methionine (Met) | 7.75 (4.46–26.3) | 12.5 (4.53–33.5) | 2.50 | 0.01 | 0.09 |
| Proline (Pro) | 166 (83.3–381) | 236 (140–362) | 4.15 | <0.0001 | 0.24 |
| Tyrosine (Tyr) | 58.6 (35.8–88.7) | 63.3 (40.6–121) | 2.99 | 0.003 | 0.12 |
| Valine (Val) | 198 (112–299) | 232 (136–390) | 2.92 | 0.003 | 0.12 |
| Tyr/Phe | 0.82 (0.61–1.26) | 1.01 (0.77–1.44) | 4.46 | <0.0001 | 0.28 |
| BIOGENIC AMINES | |||||
| Acetylornithine (Ac-Orn) | 0.56 (0.18–1.06) | 0.61 (0.24–1.47) | 3.41 | 0.0007 | 0.16 |
| Alpha aminoadipic acid (alpha-AAA) | 0.56 (0.25–1.34) | 0.81 (0.33–1.54) | 3.33 | 0.0009 | 0.15 |
| Carnosine | 0.00 (0.00–0.13) | 0.00 (0.00–0.15) | 2.03 | 0.04 | 0.06 |
| Kynurenine (Kyn) | 2.20 (1.39–5.42) | 2.86 (1.77–4.74) | 3.59 | 0.0003 | 0.18 |
| Methioninesulfoxide (Met-SO) | 10.4 (2.11–24.9) | 8.72 (1.69–20.3) | 2.05 | 0.04 | 0.06 |
| Spermine | 0.27 (0.17–0.43) | 0.19 (0.16–0.27) | 2.79 | 0.005 | 0.11 |
| Taurine | 76.5 (32.4–172) | 46.6 (28.2–119) | 5.17 | <0.0001 | 0.37 |
| Met-SO/Methionine (Met) | 1.35 (0.11–4.39) | 0.66 (0.05–3.55) | 2.14 | 0.03 | 0.06 |
| Kyn/Tryptophan (Trp) | 0.03 (0.02–0.08) | 0.04 (0.03–0.06) | 2.70 | 0.007 | 0.10 |
Z-values according to Wilcoxon Matched Pairs Test (FEPb compared to FEPf). p-values less than or equal to 0.001 after Bonferroni correction are marked in bold. Effect sizes were interpreted as moderate and large, with corresponding eta-squared ranging from 0.06 to 0.13, and ≥ 0.14, respectively.