Association of alkali metals and Alkaline-earth metals with the risk of schizophrenia in a Chinese population: A Case-Control study.

Bing Cao, Yan Chen, Joshua D Rosenbalt, Roger S McIntyre, Dongliang Wang, Lailai Yan

Journal: Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS) 2021;60():126478

PMID: 32146340

Full Text on Elsevier Science View on PubMed

Abstract

Alkali metals (AMs) and alkali earth metals (AEMs) affect levels and signaling of neurotransmitters, which potentially play a role in the etiology of schizophrenia (SCZ). The current case-control study aims to explore how AMs [i.e. Potassium (K), sodium (Na), rubidium (Rb), cesium (Cs)] and AEMs [i.e. magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba)] in serum could associate with SCZ. One hundred and five inpatients with SCZ and 106 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited from Weifang, China. Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) was used to evaluate serum concentrations of Na, K, Ca, Mg and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) was for Rb, Cs, Sr, Ba. Subjects with SCZ had significantly higher Mg and Sr serum concentrations than HCs (20.86 vs. 19.73 μg/mL of Mg, p < 0.001; 53.14 vs. 42.26 ng/mL of Sr, p < 0.001). After adjusting for confounders, the odds ratio of Mg and Sr remain significantly higher in the SCZ group (Mg: OR = 2.538, 95 % CI: 1.254-5.136, p=0.010; Sr: OR = 3.798, 95 % CI: 1.769-8.153, p = 0.001). No significant differences between SCZ subjects and HCs were observed for other AMs and AEMs. Higher serum concentrations of Mg and Sr were associated with SCZ. Studies are suggested to find the related mechanisms and provide clues for pathogenesis of SCZ, which would impact prevention and treatments of SCZ.

Address: School of Psychology and Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education); National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St., Toronto, ON, Canada.; Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.; Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation, Toronto, ON, Canada.; Department of Neurosurgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].; Department of Laboratorial Science and Technology, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China; Medical and Health Analysis Center, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China; Vaccine Research Center, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].

DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2020.126478

Link outs

Free resources

Medical:

https://medlineplus.gov/schizophrenia.html

Research Materials:

https://antibodies.cancer.gov/detail/CPTC-SNCG-3

Subscription / membership required

Full Text Sources:

https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0946...

MeSH Terms: Adolescent, Adult, Case-Control Studies, China, Female, Humans, Male, Metals, Alkali, Metals, Alkaline Earth, Risk Factors, Schizophrenia, Young Adult