Metallomic and Proteomic Study on Serum Samples from Patients with Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia and Associations with Treatments

The study conducted a metallomic and proteomic analysis on serum samples from patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SCZ) to identify potential prognostic biomarkers and evaluate associations with treatments. It found that metals such as Fe, Zn, and Se were significantly different in patients compared to healthy individuals and were possibly modulated during treatment. The Cu/Zn ratio was suggested as an indicator of oxidative stress. Additionally, 25 proteins were identified as significantly different, with most involved in complement and coagulation cascades, showing opposite expressions between BD and SCZ. The study highlighted ongoing oxidative stress and inflammation in both diseases despite treatment, suggesting that imbalances in these elements and proteins could enhance understanding of the molecular biology of BD and SCZ and provide new insights into their pathophysiological mechanisms.