Association of BDNF and MMP-9 single-nucleotide polymorphisms with the clinical phenotype of schizophrenia.

Objective: Schizophrenia is a highly polygenic psychiatric disorder; however, the complex genetic architecture underlying the pathogenesis remains elusive. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a neurotrophin, and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), a gelatinase B, are the promising candidate genes for schizophrenia. To shed new light on the relationship between the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of BDNF and MMP-9 and the clinical variability of schizophrenia phenotype, this study aims to evaluate the relationship, and provide more definitive evidence for the relationship with various clinical features of schizophrenia.

How psychiatrists coordinate treatment for COVID-19: a retrospective study and experience from China.

Background: Patients with COVID-19 are at high risk of developing mental health problems; however, the prevalence and management of mental disorders and how psychiatrists coordinate the treatment are unclear.

Aims: We aimed to investigate the mental health problems of patients infected with COVID-19 and to identify the role of psychiatrists in the clinical treatment team during the pandemic. We also share the experience of psychiatric consultations of patients with COVID-19 in Shanghai, China.

Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Variations in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder Before and After Antidepressant Treatment.

Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) had been identified as a key pro-inflammatory cytokine in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) and the mechanism of antidepressant treatment. The primary aim of the present study was to examine the serum TNF-α levels in Chinese inpatients with MDD during the acute phase and to explore the changes in TNF-α levels after effective clinical treatment. Fifty-seven consecutive inpatients with MDD and 30 healthy controls were recruited.