Increased platelet glycogen sysnthase kinase 3beta in first-episode psychosis

Past studies have linked intracellular pathways related to psychotic disorders to the GSK3B enzyme. This study aimed to investigate GSK3B protein expression and phosphorylation in drug-naïve first-episode psychosis patients (n = 43) at baseline and following symptom remission, and in healthy controls (n = 77). At baseline GSK3B total level was higher in patients (p < 0.001). In schizophrenia spectrum patients (n = 25) GSK3B total and phosphorylated levels were higher than in controls and patients with other non-affective psychotic disorders (n = 18) (p < 0.001; p = 0.027; p = 0.05 respectively). No enzyme changes were found after clinical remission. The implication of this finding for the biology of psychoses warrants further studies to clarify whether increased GSK3B may be useful as a biomarker for psychosis in general, and schizophrenia in particular.