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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDBMC psychiatry

The role of plasma oxytocin in early-onset schizophrenia: implications for disease severity and early intervention.

  • Xiao Wang1,2
  • Shuyi Wang3
  • Jialun Guo3
  • Jihui Zhang4
  • Bo Chen4
  • Junxia Li1,2
  • Zhao Zhao5
  • Chunyan Li5
  • Hongyan Cai6
  • Sha Liu7,8
8 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, P.R. China.
  2. 2Shanxi Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence Assisted Diagnosis and Treatment for Mental Disorder, Taiyuan, China.
  3. 3Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.
  4. 4Sinopharm North Hospital, Baotou, China.
  5. 5Shanxi Province Veterans Psychiatric Hospital, Taigu, China.
  6. 6Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China. [email protected].
  7. 7Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, P.R. China. [email protected].
  8. 8Shanxi Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence Assisted Diagnosis and Treatment for Mental Disorder, Taiyuan, China. [email protected].
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Abstract

Introduction

Early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) is a severe psychiatric disorder with poor long-term outcomes. It offers a unique opportunity to examine the neurobiological mechanisms of schizophrenia without the confounding effects of adult environmental factors. Oxytocin (OXT), a neuropeptide involved in social and emotional regulation, has been linked to several psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia. This study investigated associations between plasma OXT levels, disease severity, personality traits, and childhood trauma in EOS.Methods

Participants were 118 patients with EOS and 76 healthy controls (HC). Plasma OXT levels were measured, symptom severity was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), personality traits were evaluated with the Chinese Adolescent Personality Five-Factor Inventory, and childhood trauma was measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form. Analyses included independent-samples t tests, chi-square tests, binary logistic regression, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and correlation analysis using SPSS and R.Results

EOS patients had significantly lower plasma OXT levels than HC (P < 0.001). Sex, extraversion, OXT levels, and emotional abuse predicted EOS, explaining 55.4% of the variance. OXT levels showed moderate diagnostic utility (Area under the curve, AUC = 0.776) with an optimal cutoff of 183.428 pg/mL. In patients with milder symptoms (PANSS < 65), OXT levels positively correlated with symptom severity (r = 0.482, P = 0.020); no correlation was found in severe cases.Conclusions

Altered OXT levels may be associated with EOS pathophysiology, particularly in early stages. Plasma OXT levels may have potential as biomarkers for early diagnosis and intervention, pending validation in longitudinal studies, supporting future research on personalized treatment strategies.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{wang2026role,
  title = {{The role of plasma oxytocin in early-onset schizophrenia: implications for disease severity and early intervention.}},
  author = {Xiao Wang and Shuyi Wang and Jialun Guo and Jihui Zhang and Bo Chen and Junxia Li and Zhao Zhao and Chunyan Li and Hongyan Cai and Sha Liu},
  journal = {BMC psychiatry},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1186/s12888-026-08364-8},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42850602},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - The role of plasma oxytocin in early-onset schizophrenia: implications for disease severity and early intervention.
AU  - Xiao Wang
AU  - Shuyi Wang
AU  - Jialun Guo
AU  - Jihui Zhang
AU  - Bo Chen
AU  - Junxia Li
AU  - Zhao Zhao
AU  - Chunyan Li
AU  - Hongyan Cai
AU  - Sha Liu
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/09
JO  - BMC psychiatry
DO  - 10.1186/s12888-026-08364-8
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42850602
AB  - Introduction  Early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) is a severe psychiatric disorder with poor long-term outcomes. It offers a unique opportunity to examine the neurobiological mechanisms of schizophrenia without the confounding effects of adult environmental factors. Oxytocin (OXT), a neuropeptide involved in social and emotional regulation, has been linked to several psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia. This study investigated associations between plasma OXT levels, disease severity, personality traits, and childhood trauma in EOS.Methods  Participants were 118 patients with EOS and 76 healthy controls (HC). Plasma OXT levels were measured, symptom severity was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), personality traits were evaluated with the Chinese Adolescent Personality Five-Factor Inventory, and childhood trauma was measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form. Analyses included independent-samples t tests, chi-square tests, binary logistic regression, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and correlation analysis using SPSS and R.Results  EOS patients had significantly lower plasma OXT levels than HC (P < 0.001). Sex, extraversion, OXT levels, and emotional abuse predicted EOS, explaining 55.4% of the variance. OXT levels showed moderate diagnostic utility (Area under the curve, AUC = 0.776) with an optimal cutoff of 183.428 pg/mL. In patients with milder symptoms (PANSS < 65), OXT levels positively correlated with symptom severity (r = 0.482, P = 0.020); no correlation was found in severe cases.Conclusions  Altered OXT levels may be associated with EOS pathophysiology, particularly in early stages. Plasma OXT levels may have potential as biomarkers for early diagnosis and intervention, pending validation in longitudinal studies, supporting future research on personalized treatment strategies.
SN  - 1471-244X
ER  -