Review of Peripheral Blood Immune Markers and Negative Symptoms in First Episode Psychosis

Seven case-control studies published within the last five years were systematically reviewed by Germaine Ingabire. The review synthesizes evidence on associations between peripheral blood immune markers, such as IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α, and negative symptoms in individuals with first episode psychosis. Findings were published on figshare in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Identify reproducible immune markers for negative symptoms based on the review's findings for IL-1β and TNF-α
• Guide future study design on dimensional symptom assessment based on the review's methodological critique
• Inform meta-analyses of immune dysregulation in early psychosis based on the synthesis of seven studies

Strengths

• Focuses on a specific clinical population: first episode psychosis individuals, including antipsychotic-naïve patients
• Evaluates a broad range of immune markers, with IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α being the most commonly assessed
• Follows systematic review methodology (PRISMA guidelines) and includes a quality assessment using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• The review notes methodological heterogeneity and reliance on total symptom scores, limiting mechanistic interpretation

Provenance

Source

Germaine Ingabire

Collection Method

Systematic review of PubMed and Scopus following PRISMA guidelines

Time Range

Studies published within the last five years (relative to the review's publication date)

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 06:02:14; freshness should be verified