The Level of Tumour Necrosis Factor-Alpha and its Relationship to the Cognitive Function of Malayan-Mongoloid Patients with Schizophrenia

Abstract

Aim Schizophrenia is a mental disorder and one of the suspected causes is cytokines. One of them is tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). Cytokines have the potential to affect cognitive function. The study aimed to find a correlation of TNF-α level with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score in patients with schizophrenia (PwS), and comparing the level of TNF-α levels between PwS and healthy controls. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analytic study and the study designs were correlation and comparative analysis, i.e. using a Mann-Whitney U test. A total number of 100 subjects were collected, and they were divided into two groups of PwS and control group, respectively. Results The results found that most of the PwS subjects were 39 men (78.0%), while the control group were 28 men (56.%). The differences in TNF-α levels between PwS and control groups were found to be significant p <0.001, there was no significant correlation between TNF-α level and the score of MMSE of the PwS with p = 0.938, with a very weak correlation that was r = -0.011, and a negative correlation direction. Conclusion There was a significant difference between TNF-α level of PwS and control group, i.e. PwS group had lower TNF-α level compared to the control group. The TNF-α level of PwS group had a very weak effect on the cause of cognitive dysfunction in PwS group, yet the higher level of it could reduce MMSE score in PwS group.