Objective To investigate alterations in plasma complement levels and white matter imaging characteristics,along with their relationship in patients with first-episode schizophrenia(SCZ).Methods Thirty-eight patients with first-episode schizophrenia and 42 healthy controls were enrolled.Whole-brain diffusion tensor imaging(DTI)was performed using a Philips 3.0 T MRI scanner.Tract-based spatial statistics(TBSS)combined with the Johns Hopkins University(JHU)white matter labels atlas was used to extract and compare white matter characteristics between the two groups.Plasma levels of complement components(C1q,C3,C4,factor B,factor H,and factor P)were measured using the MILLIPLEX? human complement assay kit via multiplex analysis.Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to examine the association between plasma complement levels and white matter features.Results The radial diffusivity(RD)of the left fornix/stria terminalis was significantly higher in the patient group compared to the control group[(0.62±0.04)×10-3mm2/s vs.(0.60±0.03)×10-3mm2/s,PFDR=0.048)].Factor H[677.71(551.58,846.21)ng/mL vs.582.76(513.93,729.71)ng/mL,P=0.041]and factor P[71.36(57.30,95.99)ng/mL vs.60.08(46.67,80.03)ng/mL,P=0.011]were both significantly elevated compared to the control group.Moreover,RD values in the left fornix/stria terminalis were negatively correlated with plasma C3 levels in the patient group(r=-0.362,P=0.025).Conclusion Patients with first-episode schizophrenia exhibit white matter microstructural abnormalities in left fornix/stria terminalis,which are significantly associated with plasma complement levels.

Objective To investigate alterations in plasma complement levels and white matter imaging characteristics,along with their relationship in patients with first-episode schizophrenia(SCZ).Methods Thirty-eight patients with first-episode schizophrenia and 42 healthy controls were enrolled.Whole-brain diffusion tensor imaging(DTI)was performed using a Philips 3.0 T MRI scanner.Tract-based spatial statistics(TBSS)combined with the Johns Hopkins University(JHU)white matter labels atlas was used to extract and compare white matter characteristics between the two groups.Plasma levels of complement components(C1q,C3,C4,factor B,factor H,and factor P)were measured using the MILLIPLEX? human complement assay kit via multiplex analysis.Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to examine the association between plasma complement levels and white matter features.Results The radial diffusivity(RD)of the left fornix/stria terminalis was significantly higher in the patient group compared to the control group[(0.62±0.04)×10-3mm2/s vs.(0.60±0.03)×10-3mm2/s,PFDR=0.048)].Factor H[677.71(551.58,846.21)ng/mL vs.582.76(513.93,729.71)ng/mL,P=0.041]and factor P[71.36(57.30,95.99)ng/mL vs.60.08(46.67,80.03)ng/mL,P=0.011]were both significantly elevated compared to the control group.Moreover,RD values in the left fornix/stria terminalis were negatively correlated with plasma C3 levels in the patient group(r=-0.362,P=0.025).Conclusion Patients with first-episode schizophrenia exhibit white matter microstructural abnormalities in left fornix/stria terminalis,which are significantly associated with plasma complement levels.