FABP3, FABP4, and heart rate variability among patients with chronic schizophrenia

Wei-Chin Hung; Teng-Hung Yu; Cheng-Ching Wu; Thung-Lip Lee; I-Ting Tsai; Chin-Feng Hsuan; Chun-Yu Chen; Fu-Mei Chung; Yau-Jiunn Lee; Wei-Hua Tang

doi:10.3389/fendo.2023.1165621

FABP3, FABP4, and heart rate variability among patients with chronic schizophrenia

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 May 15:14:1165621. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1165621. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Wei-Chin Hung^{1

2}, Teng-Hung Yu^{1

2}, Cheng-Ching Wu^{1

2

3}, Thung-Lip Lee^{1

4}, I-Ting Tsai^{2

5}, Chin-Feng Hsuan^{1

2

6}, Chun-Yu Chen⁷, Fu-Mei Chung¹, Yau-Jiunn Lee⁸, Wei-Hua Tang^{9

10}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
² School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
³ Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Cancer Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
⁴ School of Medicine for International Students, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
⁵ Department of Emergency, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
⁶ Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Dachang Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
⁷ Division of General Neurology, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁸ Department Head, Lee's Endocrinologic Clinic, Pingtung, Taiwan.
⁹ Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Yuli Branch, Hualien, Taiwan.
¹⁰ Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.

Abstract

Introduction: The prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD-related deaths in patients with schizophrenia is high. An elevated risk of CVD has been associated with low heart rate variability (HRV). There is increasing evidence that fatty acid-binding protein (FABP)3 and FABP4 play roles in the development and progression of CVD. This study aimed to explore the association of circulating FABP3/FABP4 levels with HRV in patients with chronic schizophrenia.

Methods: We included 265 consecutive patients with chronic schizophrenia who attended a disease management program. We used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the measurement of plasma concentrations of FABP3 and FABP4. Standard HRV was recorded at baseline following a standard protocol. Mean high- and low-frequency (HF/LF) HRV values were analyzed by tertile of FABP3 and FABP4 using one-way analysis of variance, and linear regression analysis was performed to assess trends.

Results: A positive association between FABP3 and creatinine was found in multiple regression analysis. In addition, negative associations between levels of hematocrit, hemoglobin, HF HRV, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) with FABP3 were also found. Moreover, positive associations between FABP4 with body mass index, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglycerides, creatinine, and FABP3 were found. Furthermore, negative associations between levels of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, eGFR, and HF HRV with FABP4 were found. We also found a significant inverse association between FABP3 and HF HRV (p for trend = 0.008), and significant inverse associations between FABP4 with HF and LF HRV (p for trend = 0.007 and 0.017, respectively).

Discussion: Together, this suggests that elevated levels of FABP3 and FABP4 may be linked to health problems related to CVD in patients with chronic schizophrenia.

Keywords: cardiovascular disease; fatty acid-binding protein; heart rate variability; high frequency; low-frequency; schizophrenia.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Cardiovascular Diseases*
Cholesterol
Creatinine
Fatty Acid Binding Protein 3
Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins
Heart Rate
Humans
Schizophrenia* / complications

Substances

Creatinine
Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins
Cholesterol
FABP4 protein, human
FABP3 protein, human
Fatty Acid Binding Protein 3

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Yuli Branch and E-Da Hospital of the Republic of China, Taiwan (contract no. VHYL111-002 and EDAHI111001).