Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42111925›Full record

ArticleThe South African journal of psychiatry : SAJP : the journal of the Society of Psychiatrists of South Africa2026

Assessment of serum inflammatory cytokines in first-episode psychosis: Cross-sectional study.

Noxolo Qwabe, Saeeda Paruk, Andrew Tomita, Enver Karim, Usha Chhagan, Vuyokazi Ntlantsana, Bonginkosi Chiliza, Nathlee Abbai, Fazana Dessai, Lindokuhle Thela

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The South African journal of psychiatry : SAJP : the journal of the Society of Psychiatrists of South Africa, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Noxolo QwabeDiscipline of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6924-3039
Saeeda ParukDiscipline of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8173-211X
Andrew TomitaCentre for Rural Health, School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3545-2317
Enver KarimDiscipline of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7480-2952
Usha ChhaganDiscipline of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4436-2025
Vuyokazi NtlantsanaDiscipline of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5882-100X
Bonginkosi ChilizaDiscipline of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5417-5920
Nathlee AbbaiClinical Medicine Laboratory, School of Clinical Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2392-0574
Fazana DessaiClinical Medicine Laboratory, School of Clinical Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9161-278X
Lindokuhle ThelaDiscipline of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5483-2492

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Chronic low-grade systemic inflammation is implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, particularly in its early stages. Pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines have been implicated, particularly interleukin (IL) 6, 8 and 10. Aim: To investigate the association between serum inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10) and first-episode psychosis (FEP). Setting: The study was at five clinical sites in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Methods: This study was an observational, cross-sectional sub-analysis of data derived from a larger longitudinal cohort study of individuals with FEP. In this analysis, we included HIV-negative participants who were 18 years to 45 years old and had less than 6 weeks of antipsychotic exposure. Measures included socio-demographics (age, sex), body mass index (BMI), psychiatric diagnosis (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, MINI), psychosis severity (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, PANSS), depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9, PHQ-9), substance use (WHO Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test, WHO-ASSIST), childhood trauma (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, CTQ), and serum cytokines (Multiplex ELISA). Results: The sample comprised 58 participants, predominantly men (83%), with high rates of lifetime alcohol use (88%) and at least one type of childhood trauma (66%). There was a statistically significantly higher cytokine expression with current alcohol use: IL-6 ( Conclusion: The study concludes that there is some evidence of immunological dysfunction at baseline in treatment-naïve persons diagnosed with FEP. Contribution: This study contributes novel data on inflammatory cytokine profiles in individuals with FEP in a South African context, an under-represented population in psychoneuro-immunology research.

Indexed as

first-episode psychosisimmune dysfunctioninflammation confoundersinterleukin-10interleukin-6interleukin-8interleukinsneuroinflammationpsychosisschizophreniaserum

Identifiers

PMID42111925
PMCPMC13149506

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.