Figure 5.

Complement pathway-related transcripts are increased and C4 protein is decreased in the midbrain in schizophrenia cases with a high inflammatory biotype. (A) Gene expression of the complement cascade initiator molecule, C1qA, was elevated when analyzed by inflammatory subgroup (F = 11.68, df = 50,2, p < 0.0001). Gene expression of the complement cascade molecules C3 (B) (F = 5.51, df = 50,2, p = 0.007) and C4 (C) (F = 6.88, df = 49,2, p = 0.002) were also both elevated in the schizophrenia/high inflammatory subgroup compared to the control group and the low inflammatory/schizophrenia subgroup. (D) A C4 protein band was detected at 92 kDa and C3 protein bands were detected at 125 and 43 kDa in human midbrain. β-actin (~42 kDa) was detected in all samples and was used as a normalizing control. (E) The C3 protein bands were unchanged when analyzed by inflammatory subgroup (all F < 1.30, df = 42/43,2, p > 0.05). (F) C4 protein expression was changed according to inflammatory subgroup (F = 4.59, df = 44,2, p = 0.015) but C4 protein expression was increased in the low inflammatory/schizophrenia subgroup compared to both the high inflammatory/schizophrenia subgroup and the control group. Data are mean ± SEM, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ****p < 0.0001. C, control; SL, low inflammatory schizophrenia; SH, high inflammatory schizophrenia; IC, internal control.