Global Journal of Medical Research, A: Neurology & Nervous System, Volume 23 Issue 3

c) Social anxiety and inflammation in schizophrenia The descriptive statistical analysis with the prevalence of the scores of the scales and markers of inflammation (CBC) in the total sample can be seen in Table 1. There was a significant difference in NLR, with 42.7% above the estimated cut-off point. There were also changes in the MLR (30.5%) and SII (25.6%), with no changes in the PLR (0.0%). It is also noted that in addition to 72% of patients showing SAD, 67.1% also had generalized anxiety. The correlations between the LSAS, GAD-7, and BPRS scales with the inflammation markers NLR, SII, MLR, and PLR are shown in Table 2. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the LSAS and the NLR, SII, and PLR markers, and the higher the SA scores, the higher the values of these markers; there was no correlation with MLR (p>0.50), as can also be seen in Figures 2 to 4. No correlation was also obtained between the GAD-7 and BPRS scales with inflammation markers. It was It was observed an association of increased GAD-7 and BPRS with increased NLR only in patients with comorbid SA (LSAS score ≥ 32 points) (Table 3), and a trend of MLR and IIS failing to reach statistical significance. There were no PLR altered levels. After adjustment by the multivariate model (table 4), the following variables remained significantly and independently associated with SA: GAD7 ≥ 5 points (p=0.029), positive, cognitive disorganization, and total domains of the BPRS (p=0.003, p=0.004 and p=0.001, respectively) and NLR ≥ 2.80 (p<0.001). Patients who score five points or more on the GAD-7 scale, i.e. who show generalized anxiety at some level, have a 53% higher prevalence of AS compared to those who score less than five points (no generalized anxiety), regardless of BPRS and NLR. Patients with one point more in the Positive and Cognitive Disorganization domains of the BPRS have a 4%growth in the prevalence of SA. As for the total score of this same scale, the increase is 2%, regardless of GAD-7 and NLR scores. Finally, patients with an NLR equal to or greater than 2.80, which is the cut-off point, show a 55% increase in the prevalence of AS when compared to those with scores below 2.80 (no change in NLR), regardless of the GAD-7 and BPRS scales. V. C onclusion Social anxiety in schizophrenia arises from the difficulty of understanding social situations, where the person does not distinguish the intentions of others. Although it is not primary but secondary to the disease, it promotes excellent harm and disability in these patients, even with stabilized psychosis. As shown above, we found the prevalence of 72% of SA in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia attending HCPA outpatient clinic. NLR was significantly higher in patients with comorbid SA compared to schizophrenic patients without this condition. It was observed the severity of schizophrenia symptoms was associated with increased frequency of SA, with patients with SA with increased BPRS and GAD-7 scores. There also appeared to be a greater degree of inflammation in schizophrenia patients with SA, specially NLR, with increased SA scores associated with increased NLR, SII, and PLR (and no association with MLR). Our findings support previous studies of increased inflammation in schizophrenia and provide new evidence that comorbid SA in people with schizophrenia is linked to increased inflammatory indices. However the design cannot tell us about causality. In addition to the link between markers of inflammation and social anxiety in patients with schizophrenia, we saw that NLR interferes with SA and this is independent of schizophrenia. Finally, since the analyzed factors were independence, we concluded that SA depends on the degree of schizophrenia and generalized anxiety, and inflammation caused by increased NLR and that these factors predict SA. These findings become critical in thinking about new forms of treatment, addressing disability and impairment by social anxiety, with complementary therapies addressing inflammation that may modify the course and prognosis of the disease. The results of these analyses may be limited by the modest sample size, but even so the results seem to have been significant. Not to mention the patients were interviewed by trained professionals and are being monitored by a team of residents and professors at the outpatient clinic where they have already been diagnosed. A cknowledgements The study received research funding from Clinics Hospital of Porto Alegre (HCPA) and Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest. R eferences R éférences R eferencias 1. Silva AM, Dos Santos CA, Miron FM, Miguel NP, Furtado CC, Bellemo AIS. Schizophrenia: a literature review. UNILUS Journal Teaching and Research, 2016;13,30. ISSN 2318-2083. 2. American Psychiatric Association. DSM-5-TR: Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Porto Alegre: Artmed; 2022. 3. Ruiz-Iriondo M, Salaberría K, Echeburúa E, Iruín Á, Gabaldón O, Fernández-Marañón I. Global 38 Year 2023 Global Journal of Medical Research Volume XXIII Issue III Version I ( D ) A © 2023 Global Journals The Link between Social Anxiety and Peripheral Inflammatory Markers in Patients with Schizophrenia Diagnoses