Attila Szabo

• Sæther, Linn Sofie; Szabo, Attila; Akkouh, Ibrahim Ahmed; Haatveit, Beathe ; Mohn, Christine & Vaskinn, Anja [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2024). Cognitive and inflammatory heterogeneity in severe mental illness: Translating findings from blood to brain. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. ISSN 0889-1591. 118, p. 287–299. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.03.014.
• Andreou, Dimitrios; Steen, Nils Eiel; Mørch-Johnsen, Lynn Egeland; Jørgensen, Kjetil Nordbø; Wortinger, Laura Anne & Barth, Claudia [Show all 19 contributors for this article] (2024). Toxoplasma gondii infection associated with inflammasome activation and neuronal injury. Scientific Reports. ISSN 2045-2322. 14(1). doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-55887-9.
• Bakke, Laura Anne Wortinger; Stavrum, Anne-Kristin Støbakk; Shadrin, Alexey; Szabo, Attila; Rukke, Sondre Høeg & Nerland, Stener [Show all 17 contributors for this article] (2024). Divergent epigenetic responses to perinatal asphyxia in severe mental disorders. Translational Psychiatry. ISSN 2158-3188. 14(1). doi: 10.1038/s41398-023-02709-7.
• Bull, Emilie Meyer; Nærland, Terje; Lahlum, Silje; Szabo, Attila; Andreassen, Ole & Quintana, Daniel (2023). Development and Validation of the Non-Verbal Patient-Caregiver Understanding Questionnaire (NPUQ): Assessing Communication Challenges and Their Impacts. OSF Preprints. doi: 10.31234/osf.io/89ktd.
• Requena Osete, Jordi; Akkouh, Ibrahim Ahmed; Ievglevskyi, Oleksandr; Vandenberghe, Matthieu; Reis de Assis, Denis & Ueland, Thor [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2023). Characterization of lithium (Li) treated human cortical spheroids (hCS). Molecular Psychiatry. ISSN 1359-4184. 28(7). doi: 10.1038/s41380-023-02300-y.
• Akkouh, Ibrahim Ahmed; Ueland, Thor; Szabo, Attila; Hughes, Timothy; Smeland, Olav Bjerkehagen & Andreassen, Ole [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2023). Longitudinal Transcriptomic Analysis of Human Cortical Spheroids Identifies Axonal Dysregulation in the Prenatal Brain as a Mediator of Genetic Risk for Schizophrenia. Biological Psychiatry. ISSN 0006-3223. 0, p. 1–12. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.08.017. Full text in Research Archive
• Wortinger, Laura Anne ; Shadrin, Alexey; Szabo, Attila; Nerland, Stener; Smelror, Runar & Jørgensen, Kjetil Nordbø [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2023). The impact of placental genomic risk for schizophrenia and birth asphyxia on brain development. Translational Psychiatry. ISSN 2158-3188. 13(1). doi: 10.1038/s41398-023-02639-4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The placenta plays a role in fetal brain development, and pregnancy and birth complications can be signs of placental dysfunction. Birth asphyxia is associated with smaller head size and higher risk of developing schizophrenia (SZ), but whether birth asphyxia and placental genomic risk factors associated with SZ are related and how they might impact brain development is unclear. 433 adult patients with SZ and 870 healthy controls were clinically evaluated and underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging. Pregnancy and birth information were obtained from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) from the latest genomewide association study in SZ were differentiated into placental PRS (PlacPRS) and non-placental PRS. If the interaction between PRSs and birth asphyxia on case-control status was significant, neonatal head circumference (nHC) and adult intracranial volume (ICV) were further evaluated with these variables using multiple regression. PlacPRS in individuals with a history of birth asphyxia was associated with a higher likelihood of being a patient with SZ (t = 2.10, p = 0.018). We found a significant interaction between PlacPRS and birth asphyxia on nHC in the whole sample (t = −2.43, p = 0.008), with higher placental PRS for SZ associated with lower nHC in those with birth asphyxia. This relationship was specific to males (t = −2.71, p = 0.005) and also found with their adult ICV (t = −1.97, p = 0.028). These findings suggest that placental pathophysiology and birth asphyxia may affect early and late trajectories of brain development, particularly in males with a higher vulnerability to SZ. This knowledge might lead to new strategies of treatment and prevention in SZ.

• Bull, Emilie Meyer; Audunsdottir, Kristin; Jacobsen, Henrik Børsting; Kang, Heemin; Sartorius, Alina Marie & Glaser, Bernt Damian [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2023). Heart Rate Variability and Pain: A Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. OSF Preprints. doi: 10.31219/osf.io/arfm6.
• Steen, Nils Eiel; Rahman, Zillur; Szabo, Attila; Hindley, Guy; Parker, Nadine & Cheng, Weiqiu [Show all 20 contributors for this article] (2023). Shared Genetic Loci Between Schizophrenia and White Blood Cell Counts Suggest Genetically Determined Systemic Immune Abnormalities. Schizophrenia Bulletin. ISSN 0586-7614. 49(5), p. 1345–1354. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbad082. Full text in Research Archive
• Hjell, Gabriela; Rokicki, Jaroslav; Szabo, Attila; Holst, Rene; Tesli, Natalia & Bell, Christina [Show all 19 contributors for this article] (2023). Impulsivity across severe mental disorders: a cross-sectional study of immune markers and psychopharmacotherapy. BMC Psychiatry. ISSN 1471-244X. 23(1). doi: 10.1186/s12888-023-05154-4. Full text in Research Archive
• Mason, N.L.; Szabo, Attila; Kuypers, K.P.C.; Mallaroni, P.A.; de la Torre Fornell, la & Reckweg, J.T. [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2023). Psilocybin induces acute and persisting alterations in immune status in healthy volunteers: An experimental, placebo-controlled study. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. ISSN 0889-1591. 114, p. 299–310. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.09.004. Full text in Research Archive
• Winkelman, Michael James; Szabo, Attila & Frecska, Ede (2023). The potential of psychedelics for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. European Neuropsychopharmacology. ISSN 0924-977X. 76, p. 3–16. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2023.07.003. Full text in Research Archive
• Burmester, Daniel Rødbro; Madsen, Martin Korsbak; Szabo, Attila; Aripaka, Sagar Sanjay; Stenbæk, Dea Siggaard & Frokjaer, Vibe G. [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2023). Subacute effects of a single dose of psilocybin on biomarkers of inflammation in healthy humans: An open-label preliminary investigation. Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology. ISSN 2666-4976. 13. doi: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100163. Full text in Research Archive
• Osete, Jordi Requena; Akkouh, Ibrahim Ahmed; Ievglevskyi, Oleksandr; Vandenberghe, Matthieu; Reis de Assis, Denis & Ueland, Thor [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2023). Transcriptional and functional effects of lithium in bipolar disorder iPSC-derived cortical spheroids. Molecular Psychiatry. ISSN 1359-4184. 28, p. 3033–3043. doi: 10.1038/s41380-023-01944-0. Full text in Research Archive
• Sæther, Linn Sofie; Ueland, Thor; Haatveit, Beathe; Maglanoc, Luigi Angelo; Szabo, Attila & Djurovic, Srdjan [Show all 15 contributors for this article] (2022). Inflammation and cognition in severe mental illness: patterns of covariation and subgroups. Molecular Psychiatry. ISSN 1359-4184. doi: 10.1038/s41380-022-01924-w.
• Sæther, Linn Sofie; Ueland, Thor; Haatveit, Beathe; Maglanoc, Luigi; Szabo, Attila & Djurovic, Srdjan [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2022). Inflammation and cognition in severe mental illness: patterns of covariation and subgroups. Molecular Psychiatry. ISSN 1359-4184. 8, p. 1284–1292. doi: 10.1038/s41380-022-01924-w. Full text in Research Archive
• Jensen, Søren Beck; Sheikh, Mashhood Ahmed; Akkouh, Ibrahim Ahmed; Szabo, Attila; O'Connell, Kevin Sean & Lekva, Tove [Show all 23 contributors for this article] (2022). Elevated Systemic Levels of Markers Reflecting Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction and Inflammasome Activation Are Correlated in Severe Mental Illness. Schizophrenia Bulletin. ISSN 0586-7614. 49(3), p. 635–645. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbac191.
• Sheikh, Mashhood Ahmed; O'Connell, Kevin Sean; Lekva, Tove; Szabo, Attila; Akkouh, Ibrahim Ahmed & Osete, Jordi Requena [Show all 31 contributors for this article] (2022). Systemic cell adhesion molecules in severe mental illness: Potential role of intercellular CAM-1 in linking peripheral and neuroinflammation. Biological Psychiatry. ISSN 0006-3223. 93, p. 187–196. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.06.029. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) orchestrate leukocyte trafficking and could link peripheral and neuroinflammation in patients with severe mental illness (SMI), by promoting inflammatory and immune-mediated responses and mediating signals across blood-brain barrier. We hypothesized that CAMs would be dysregulated in SMI and evaluated plasma levels of different vascular and neural CAMs. Dysregulated CAMs in plasma were further evaluated in vivo in leukocytes and brain tissue and in vitro in induced pluripotent stem cells. Methods We compared plasma soluble levels of different vascular (VCAM-1, ICAM-1, P-SEL) and neural (JAM-A, NCAD) CAMs in circulating leukocytes in a large SMI sample of schizophrenia (SCZ) spectrum disorder (n = 895) and affective disorder (n = 737) and healthy control participants (n = 1070) controlling for age, sex, body mass index, C-reactive protein, and freezer storage time. We also evaluated messenger RNA expression of ICAM1 and related genes encoding ICAM-1 receptors in leukocytes using microarray (n = 842) and in available RNA sequencing data from the CommonMind Consortium (CMC) in postmortem samples from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (n = 474). The regulation of soluble ICAM-1 in induced pluripotent stem cell–derived neurons and astrocytes was assessed in patients with SCZ and healthy control participants (n = 8 of each). Results Our major findings were 1) increased soluble ICAM-1 in patients with SMI compared with healthy control participants; 2) increased ITGB2 messenger RNA, encoding the beta chain of the ICAM-1 receptor, in circulating leukocytes from patients with SMI and increased prefrontal cortex messenger RNA expression of ICAM1 in SCZ; and 3) enhanced soluble ICAM-1 release in induced pluripotent stem cell–derived neurons from patients with SCZ. Conclusions Our results support a systemic and cerebral dysregulation of soluble ICAM-1 expression in SMI and especially in patients with SCZ.

• Hjell, Gabriela; Szabo, Attila; Mørch-Johnsen, Lynn Egeland; Holst, Rene; Tesli, Natalia & Bell, Christina [Show all 18 contributors for this article] (2022). Interleukin-18 signaling system links to agitation in severe mental disorders. Psychoneuroendocrinology. ISSN 0306-4530. 140:105721, p. 1–8. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105721. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Objective Agitation is a challenging clinical feature in severe mental disorders, but its biological correlates are largely unknown. Inflammasome-related abnormalities have been linked to severe mental disorders and implicated in animal models of agitation. We investigated if levels of circulating inflammasome-related immune markers were associated with agitation in severe mental disorders. Methods Individuals with a psychotic or affective disorder (N = 660) underwent blood sampling and clinical characterization. Plasma levels of interleukin (IL)‐18, IL-18 binding protein (IL-18BP), IL-18 receptor 1 (IL-18R1), IL-18 receptor accessory protein (IL-18RAP), and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) were measured. Agitation levels were estimated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale Excited Component. Multiple linear- and logistic regression were used to investigate the associations between agitation and the immune markers, while controlling for confounders. The influence of psychotic and affective symptoms was assessed in follow-up analyses. Results Agitation was positively associated with IL-18BP (β = 0.13, t = 3.41, p = 0.0007) after controlling for multiple confounders, including BMI, smoking, medication, and substance use. Adjustment for psychotic, manic, and depressive symptoms did not affect the results. There were no significant associations between agitation and the other investigated immune markers (IL-1RA (β = 0.06, t = 1.27, p = 0.20), IL-18 (β = 0.05, t = 1.25, p = 0.21), IL-18R1 (β = 0.04, t = 1.01, p = 0.31), IL-18RAP (odds ratio = 0.96, p = 0.30)). In a subsample (N = 463), we also adjusted for cortisol levels, which yielded unaltered results. Conclusion Our findings add to the accumulating evidence of immune system disturbances in severe mental disorders and suggest the IL-18 system as a part of the biological correlate of agitation independent of affective and psychotic symptoms.

• Reckweg, Johannes T.; Utahug, Malin V.; Szabo, Attila; Davis, Alan K.; Lancelotta, Rafael & Mason, Natasha L. [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2022). The clinical pharmacology and potential therapeutic applications of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT). Journal of Neurochemistry. ISSN 0022-3042. doi: 10.1111/jnc.15587. Full text in Research Archive
• Wortinger, Laura Anne ; Barth, Claudia; Nerland, Stener; Jørgensen, Kjetil Nordbø; Shadrin, Alexey & Szabo, Attila [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2021). Association of Birth Asphyxia With Regional White Matter Abnormalities Among Patients With Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorders. JAMA Network Open. ISSN 2574-3805. 4(12). doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.39759. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Importance: White matter (WM) abnormalities are commonly reported in psychiatric disorders. Whether peripartum insufficiencies in brain oxygenation, known as birth asphyxia, are associated with WM of patients with severe mental disorders is unclear. Objective: To examine the association between birth asphyxia and WM in adult patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorders (BDs) compared with healthy adults. Design, setting, and participants: In this case-control study, all individuals participating in the ongoing Thematically Organized Psychosis project were linked to the Medical Birth Registry of Norway (MBRN), where a subset of 271 patients (case group) and 529 healthy individuals (control group) had undergone diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). Statistical analyses were performed from June 16, 2020, to March 9, 2021. Exposures: Birth asphyxia was defined based on measures from standardized reporting at birth in the MBRN. Main outcomes and measures: Associations between birth asphyxia and WM regions of interest diffusion metrics, ie, fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD), were compared between groups using analysis of covariance, adjusted for age, age squared, and sex. Results: Of the 850 adults included in the study, 271 were in the case group (140 [52%] female individuals; mean [SD] age, 28.64 [7.43] years) and 579 were in the control group (245 [42%] female individuals; mean [SD] age, 33.54 [8.31] years). Birth asphyxia measures were identified in 15% to 16% of participants, independent of group. The posterior limb of the internal capsule (PLIC) showed a significant diagnostic group × birth asphyxia interaction (F(1, 843) = 11.46; P = .001), reflecting a stronger association between birth asphyxia and FA in the case group than the control group. RD, but not AD, also displayed a significant diagnostic group × birth asphyxia interaction (F(1, 843) = 9.28; P = .002) in the PLIC, with higher values in patients with birth asphyxia and similar effect sizes as observed for FA. Conclusions and relevance: In this case-control study, abnormalities in the PLIC of adult patients with birth asphyxia may suggest a greater susceptibility to hypoxia in patients with severe mental illness, which could lead to myelin damage or impeded brain development. Echoing recent early-stage schizophrenia studies, abnormalities of the PLIC are relevant to psychiatric disorders, as the PLIC contains important WM brain pathways associated with language, cognitive function, and sensory function, which are impaired in schizophrenia and BDs.

• Szabo, Attila; O'Connell, Kevin Sean; Ueland, Thor; Sheikh, Mashhood Ahmed; Agartz, Ingrid & Andreou, Dimitrios [Show all 31 contributors for this article] (2021). Increased circulating IL-18 levels in severe mental disorders indicate systemic inflammasome activation. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. ISSN 0889-1591. 99, p. 299–306. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.10.017. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background Schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) are severe mental illnesses (SMI) that are part of a psychosis continuum, and dysregulated innate immune responses have been suggested to be involved in their pathophysiology. However, disease-specific immune mechanisms in SMI are not known yet. Recently, dyslipidemia has been linked to systemic inflammasome activation, and elevated atherogenic lipid ratios have been shown to correlate with circulating levels of inflammatory biomarkers in SMI. It is, however, not yet known if increased systemic cholesterol load leads to inflammasome activation in these patients. Methods We tested the hypothesis that patients with SCZ and BD display higher circulating levels compared to healthy individuals of key members of the IL-18 system using a large patient cohort (n = 1632; including 737 SCZ and 895 BD), and healthy controls (CTRL; n = 1070). In addition, we assessed associations with coronary artery disease risk factors in SMI, focusing on relevant inflammasome-related, neuroendocrine, and lipid markers. Results We report higher baseline levels of circulating IL-18 system components (IL-18, IL-18BPA, IL-18R1), and increased expression of inflammasome-related genes (NLRP3 and NLRC4) in the blood of patients relative to CTRL. We demonstrate a cholesterol dyslipidemia pattern in psychotic disorders, and report correlations between levels of blood cholesterol types and the expression of inflammasome system elements in SMI. Conclusions Based on these results, we suggest a role for inflammasome activation/dysregulation in SMI. Our findings further the understanding of possible underlying inflammatory mechanisms and may expose important therapeutic targets in SMI.

• Szabo, Attila; Akkouh, Ibrahim A.; Vandenberghe, Matthieu; Osete, Jordi Requena; Hughes, Timothy & Heine, Vivi [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2021). A human iPSC-astroglia neurodevelopmental model reveals divergent transcriptomic patterns in schizophrenia. Translational Psychiatry. ISSN 2158-3188. 11(1). doi: 10.1038/s41398-021-01681-4. Full text in Research Archive
• Akkouh, Ibrahim; Hribkova, Hana; Grabiec, Marta; Budinska, Eva; Szabo, Attila & Kasparek, Tomas [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2021). Derivation and Molecular Characterization of a Morphological Subpopulation of Human iPSC Astrocytes Reveal a Potential Role in Schizophrenia and Clozapine Response. Schizophrenia Bulletin. ISSN 0586-7614. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbab092. Full text in Research Archive
• Reponen, Elina Johanna; Tesli, Martin Steen; Dieset, Ingrid; Steen, Nils Eiel; Vedal, Trude Seselie Jahr & Szabo, Attila [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2021). Adiponectin Is Related to Cardiovascular Risk in Severe Mental Illness Independent of Antipsychotic Treatment. Frontiers in Psychiatry. ISSN 1664-0640. 12. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.623192. Full text in Research Archive
• Osete, Jordi Requena; Akkouh, Ibrahim; Reis de Assis, Denis; Szabo, Attila; Frei, Evgeniia & Hughes, Timothy [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2021). Lithium increases mitochondrial respiration in iPSC-derived neural precursor cells from lithium responders. Molecular Psychiatry. ISSN 1359-4184. doi: 10.1038/s41380-021-01164-4. Full text in Research Archive
• Akkouh, Ibrahim; Hughes, Timothy; Steen, Vidar Martin; Glover, Joel; Andreassen, Ole Andreas & Djurovic, Srdjan [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). Transcriptome analysis reveals disparate expression of inflammation-related miRNAs and their gene targets in iPSC-astrocytes from people with schizophrenia. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. ISSN 0889-1591. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.01.037. Full text in Research Archive
• Reis de Assis, Denis; Szabo, Attila; Osete, Jordi Requena; Puppo, Francesca; O'Connell, Kevin S. & Akkouh, Ibrahim [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2021). Using iPSC Models to Understand the Role of Estrogen in Neuron–Glia Interactions in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder. Cells. ISSN 2073-4409. 10(2). doi: 10.3390/cells10020209. Full text in Research Archive
• Veréb, Zoltán; Mazlo, Anett; Szabo, Attila; Póliska, Szilárd; Kiss, Attila & Litauszky, Krisztina [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2020). Vessel Wall-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Share Similar Differentiation Potential and Immunomodulatory Properties with Bone Marrow-Derived Stromal Cells. Stem Cells International. ISSN 1687-966X. 2020. doi: 10.1155/2020/8847038. Full text in Research Archive
• Thompson, Caitlin & Szabo, Attila (2020). Psychedelics as a novel approach to treating autoimmune conditions. Immunology Letters. ISSN 0165-2478. 228, p. 45–54. doi: 10.1016/j.imlet.2020.10.001. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  With a rise in the incidence of autoimmune diseases (AiD), health care providers continue to seek out more efficacious treatment approaches for the AiD patient population. Classic serotonergic psychedelics have recently been gaining public and professional interest as novel interventions to a number of mental health afflictions. Psychedelics have also been shown to be able to modulate immune functions, however, while there has been great interest to researching into their psychotherapeutic applications, there has so far been very little explo-ration into the potential to treat inflammatory and immune-related diseases with these compounds. A handful of studies from a variety of fields suggest that psychedelics do indeed have effects in the body that may attenuate the outcome of AiD. This literature review explores existing evidence that psychedelic compounds may offer a potential novel application in the treatment of pathologies related to autoimmunity. We propose that psyche-delics hold the potential to attenuate or even resolve autoimmunity by targeting psychosomatic origins, mal-adaptive chronic stress responses, inflammatory pathways, immune modulation and enteric microbiome populations.

• Szabo, Attila; Akkouh, Ibrahim; Ueland, Thor; Lagerberg, Trine Vik; Dieset, Ingrid & Bjella, Thomas [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2020). Cannabis Use Is Associated With Increased Levels of Soluble gp130 in Schizophrenia but Not in Bipolar Disorder. Frontiers in Psychiatry. ISSN 1664-0640. 11, p. 1–10. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00642. Full text in Research Archive
• Wedervang-Resell, Kirsten; Ueland, Thor; Aukrust, Pål; Friis, Svein; Holven, Kirsten Bjørklund & Johannessen, Cecilie Haggag [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2020). Reduced levels of circulating adhesion molecules in adolescents with early-onset psychosis. Nature NPJ Schizophrenia. ISSN 2334-265X. 6, p. 1–8. doi: 10.1038/s41537-020-00112-5. Full text in Research Archive
• Nardai, Sandor; Laszlo, Marcell; Szabo, Attila; Alan, Alpar; Hanics, Janos & Zahola, Peter [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2020). N,N-dimethyltryptamine reduces infarct size and improves functional recovery following transient focal brain ischemia in rats. Experimental Neurology. ISSN 0014-4886. 327. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2020.113245.
• Akkouh, Ibrahim; Ueland, Thor; Hansson, Lars ; Inderhaug, Elin; Hughes, Timothy & Steen, Nils Eiel [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2020). Decreased IL-1β-induced CCL20 response in human iPSC-astrocytes in schizophrenia: Potential attenuating effects on recruitment of regulatory T cells. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. ISSN 0889-1591. 87, p. 634–644. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.02.008. Full text in Research Archive
• Reponen, Elina Johanna; Dieset, Ingrid; Tesli, Martin Steen; Mørch, Ragni Helene; Aas, Monica & Vedal, Trude Seselie Jahr [Show all 18 contributors for this article] (2020). Atherogenic lipid ratios related to myeloperoxidase and C-reactive protein levels in psychotic disorders. Frontiers in Psychiatry. ISSN 1664-0640. 11. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00672. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of premature death in patients with psychotic disorders, where dyslipidemia occurs frequently. In the pathogenesis of these serious mental disorders, a low-grade inflammation seems to be a possible contributor. Concurrently, systemic inflammation and its interplay with dyslipidemia is a central driver in the pathogenesis of CVD. We hypothesize that evaluation of atherogenic lipid ratios together with inflammatory markers reflecting different inflammatory pathways with relevance for atherogenesis, could give novel information on immune-related mechanisms involved in early CVD risk in patients with psychotic disorders. Methods: As a measure for CVD risk we calculated atherogenic lipid ratios using established sex-specific cut-offs: Total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein; HDL-c (TC/HDL) and triglyceride/HDL-c (TG/HDL) were evaluated in 571 schizophrenia (SCZ) and 247 bipolar disorder (BD) patients, and in 99 healthy controls (HC). In addition, as a measure of low-grade inflammation, we measured fasting plasma levels of nine stable atherogenic inflammatory markers in patients (SCZ, BD) and in HC. The elevated inflammatory markers and CVD risk in patients, as reflected by TC/HDL and TG/HDL, were further assessed in multivariable analyses adjusting for comorbid cardio-metabolic risk factors. Results: A markedly higher proportion (26%-31%) of patients had increased TC/HDL and TG/HDL ratios compared with HC. Plasma levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were higher (p<0.05, p<0.001) in patients with psychotic disorders than in HC, and hs-CRP and MPO were independently associated with atherogenic lipid ratios in the multivariable analyses. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that low-grade inflammation and abnormal neutrophil activation may cause increased CVD risk in patients with psychotic disorders. These mechanisms should be further examined to determine the potential for development of novel risk evaluation strategies. Keywords: CVD risk; bipolar disorder; dyslipidemia; inflammatory biomarkers; schizophrenia.

• Brown, Peter; RELISH, Consortium; Szabo, Attila & Zhou, Yaoqi (2019). Large expert-curated database for benchmarking document similarity detection in biomedical literature search. Database: The Journal of Biological Databases and Curation. ISSN 1758-0463. 2019. doi: 10.1093/database/baz085.
• Uthaug, Malin V.; Lancelotta, Rafael; Szabo, Attila; Davis, Alan K.; Riba, Jordi & Ramaekers, Johannes Geradus (2019). Prospective examination of synthetic 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine inhalation: effects on salivary IL-6, cortisol levels, affect, and non-judgment. Psychopharmacology. ISSN 0033-3158. p. 1–13. doi: 10.1007/s00213-019-05414-w.
• Szabo, Attila (2019). Effects of Psychedelics on Inflammation and Immunity. In Winkelman, Michael J & Sessa, Ben (Ed.), Advances in Psychedelic Medicine: State-of-the-Art Therapeutic Applications. Praeger. ISSN 978-1-4408-6410-0. p. 193–213.
• Frecska, Ede; Kovács, Attila Istvan & Szabo, Attila (2019). The Protective Role of Dimethyltryptamine against Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury. In Winkelman, Michael J & Sessa, Ben (Ed.), Advances in Psychedelic Medicine: State-of-the-Art Therapeutic Applications. Praeger. ISSN 978-1-4408-6410-0. p. 214–231.
• Agod, Zsofia; Pazmandi, Kitti; Bencze, Dora; Vereb, Gyorgy; Biro, Tamas & Szabo, Attila [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2018). Signaling Lymphocyte Activation Molecule Family 5 Enhances Autophagy and Fine-Tunes Cytokine Response in Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells via Stabilization of Interferon Regulatory Factor 8. Frontiers in Immunology. ISSN 1664-3224. 9. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00062.
• Fekete, Tünde; Bencze, Dora; Csoma, Eszter; Szabo, Attila; Biro, Tamas & Bácsi, Attila [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2018). Regulatory NLRs Control the RLR-Mediated Type I Interferon and Inflammatory Responses in Human Dendritic Cells. Frontiers in Immunology. ISSN 1664-3224. 9. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02314.
• Fekete, Tunde; Suto, Mate Istvan; Bencze, Dora; Mazlo, Anett; Szabo, Attila & Biro, Tamas [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2018). Human plasmacytoid and monocyte-derived dendritic cells display distinct metabolic profile upon RIG-I activation. Frontiers in Immunology. ISSN 1664-3224. 9. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.03070.
• Szabo, Attila; Gogolák, Péter; Koncz, Gábor; Földvári, Zsofia; Pazmandi, Kitti & Miltner, Noemi [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2018). Immunomodulatory capacity of the serotonin receptor 5-HT2B in a subset of human dendritic cells. Scientific Reports. ISSN 2045-2322. 8:1765, p. 1–12. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-20173-y. Full text in Research Archive
• Szummer, Csaba; Horvath, Lajos; Szabo, Attila; Frecska, Ede & Orzoi, Kristof (2017). The hyperassociative mind: The psychedelic experience and Merleau-Ponty’s “wild being”. Journal of Psychedelic Studies. ISSN 2559-9283. 2, p. 55–64. doi: 10.1556/2054.01.2017.006.
• Agod, Zsofia; Fekete, Tunde; Budai, Marietta M; Varga, Aliz; Szabo, Attila & Moon, Hyelim [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2017). Regulation of type I interferon responses by mitochondria-derived reactive oxygen species in plasmacytoid dendritic cells. Redox Biology. ISSN 2213-2317. 13, p. 633–645. doi: 10.1016/j.redox.2017.07.016.
• Horvath, Lájos; Szummer, Csaba & Szabo, Attila (2017). Weak phantasy and visionary phantasy: the phenomenological significance of altered states of consciousness. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences. ISSN 1568-7759. 17(1), p. 117–129. doi: 10.1007/s11097-016-9497-4.
• Szabo, Attila & Frecska, Ede (2016). Dimethyltryptamine (DMT): a biochemical Swiss Army knife in neuroinflammation and neuroprotection? Neural Regeneration Research. ISSN 1673-5374. 11(3), p. 396–397. doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.179041.
• Szabo, Attila; Fekete, Tunde; Koncz, Gábor; Kumar, Brahma V; Pazmandi, Kitti & Földvári, Zsofia [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2016). RIG-I inhibits the MAPK-dependent proliferation of BRAF mutant melanoma cells via MKP-1. Cellular Signalling. ISSN 0898-6568. 28(5), p. 335–347. doi: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2016.01.012.
• Frecska, Ede; Kovács, Attila Istvan; Szabo, Attila; Ferencz, Csaba & Móré, Csaba E. (2016). Basics of the medical use of ayahuasca: Physiology of dimethyltryptamine. Lege Artis Medicinae. ISSN 0866-4811. 26(9-10), p. 413–420.
• Szabo, Attila; Kovács, Attila L.; Riba, Jordi; Djurovic, Srdjan; Rajnavölgyi, Éva & Frecska, Ede (2016). The endogenous hallucinogen and trace amine N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) displays potent protective effects against hypoxia via sigma-1 receptor activation in human primary iPSC-derived cortical neurons and microglia-like immune cells. Frontiers in Neuroscience. ISSN 1662-4548. 10:423. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00423. Full text in Research Archive
• Szabo, Attila (2015). Psychoneuroimmunology and the embodied mind. Lege Artis Medicinae. ISSN 0866-4811. 25(10), p. 445–453.
• Bacskai, Ildiko; Mazlo, Anett; Kis-Toth, Katalin; Szabo, Attila; Panyi, Gyorgy & Sarkadi, Balazs [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2015). Mesenchymal stromal cell-like cells set the balance of stimulatory and inhibitory signals in monocyte-derived dendritic cells. Stem Cells and Development. ISSN 1547-3287. 24(15), p. 1805–1816. doi: 10.1089/scd.2014.0509.
• Szabo, Attila; Kazai, Anita; Frecska, Ede & Brys, Zoltan (2015). Psychedelics and quasi-psychedelics in the light of contemporary research: Medical cannabis, MDMA, salvinorin A, ibogaine and ayahuasca. Neuropsychopharmacologia Hungarica. ISSN 1419-8711. 17(3), p. 120–128.
• Szabo, Attila (2015). Psychedelics and immunomodulation: novel approaches and therapeutic opportunities. Frontiers in Immunology. ISSN 1664-3224. 6. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2015.00358.
• Szabo, Attila; Horvath, Lajos & Szummer, Csaba (2014). Phenomenology and altered states of consciousness: A new framework for analysis? Psychologia Hungarica Caroliensis. ISSN 2064-2504. 2(2), p. 7–29. doi: 10.12663/PSYHUNG.2.2014.2.1.
• Szabo, Attila & Rajnavölgyi, Éva (2014). Finding a fairy in the forest: ELF4, a novel and critical element of type I interferon responses. Cellular & Molecular Immunology. ISSN 1672-7681. 11(3), p. 218–220. doi: 10.1038/cmi.2014.1.
• Szabo, Attila; Kovacs, Attila; Frecska, Ede & Rajnavölgyi, Éva (2014). Psychedelic N,N-Dimethyltryptamine and 5-Methoxy-N,N-Dimethyltryptamine Modulate Innate and Adaptive Inflammatory Responses through the Sigma-1 Receptor of Human Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells. PLOS ONE. ISSN 1932-6203. 9(8). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106533.
• Szabo, Attila; Magyarics, Zoltan; Pazmandi, Kitti; Gopcsa, Laszlo; Rajnavölgyi, Éva & Bácsi, Attila (2014). TLR ligands upregulate RIG‐I expression in human plasmacytoid dendritic cells in a type I IFN‐independent manner. Immunology and Cell Biology. ISSN 0818-9641. 92(8), p. 671–678. doi: 10.1038/icb.2014.38.
• Fekete, Tunde; Pazmandi, Kitti; Szabo, Attila; Bácsi, Attila; Koncz, Gábor & Rajnavölgyi, Éva (2014). The antiviral immune response in human conventional dendritic cells is controlled by the mammalian target of rapamycin. Journal of Leukocyte Biology. ISSN 0741-5400. 96(4), p. 579–589. doi: 10.1189/jlb.2A0114-048RR.
• Pazmandi, Kitti; Agod, Zsofia; Kumar, Brahma V; Szabo, Attila; Fekete, Tunde & Sogor, Viktoria [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2014). Oxidative modification enhances the immunostimulatory effects of extracellular mitochondrial DNA on plasmacytoid dendritic cells. Free Radical Biology & Medicine. ISSN 0891-5849. 77, p. 281–290. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2014.09.028.
• Szabo, Attila & Rajnavölgyi, Éva (2013). Collaboration of Toll-like and RIG-I-like receptors in human dendritic cells: tRIGgering antiviral innate immune responses. American Journal of Clinical and Experimental Immunology. ISSN 2164-7712. 2(3), p. 195–207.
• Szabo, Attila; Gogolák, Péter; Pazmandi, Kitti; Kis-Toth, Katalin; Riedl, Karin & Wizel, Benjamin [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2013). The two-component adjuvant IC31® boosts type i interferon production of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells via ligation of endosomal TLRs. PLOS ONE. ISSN 1932-6203. 8(2). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055264.
• Brys, Zoltan; Pluhar, Andras; Kis, Tibor J; Buda, Bela & Szabo, Attila (2013). Network analysis of neurotransmitter related human kinase genes. Possible role of SRC, RAF1, PTK2B? Neuropsychopharmacologia Hungarica. ISSN 1419-8711. 15(3), p. 165–171.
• Frecska, Ede; Szabo, Attila; Winkelman, Michael J; Luna, Luis Eduardo & McKenna, Dennis J (2013). A possibly sigma-1 receptor mediated role of dimethyltryptamine in tissue protection, regeneration, and immunity. Journal of Neural Transmission. ISSN 0300-9564. 120(9), p. 1295–1303. doi: 10.1007/s00702-013-1024-y.
• Szabo, Attila & Rajnavölgyi, Éva (2013). The brain-immune-gut triangle: innate immunity in psychiatric and neurological disorders. Current Immunology Reviews. ISSN 1875-631X. 9(4), p. 241–248. doi: 10.2174/1573395509666131203225659.
• Fekete, Tunde; Szabo, Attila; Beltrame, Luca; Vivar, Nancy; Pivarcsi, Andor & Lanyi, Arpad [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2012). Constraints for monocyte‐derived dendritic cell functions under inflammatory conditions. European Journal of Immunology. ISSN 0014-2980. 42(2), p. 458–469. doi: 10.1002/eji.201141924.
• Szabo, Attila; Bene, Krisztian; Gogolák, Péter; Rethi, Bence; Lanyi, Arpad & Jankovich, Istvan [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2012). RLR‐mediated production of interferon‐β by a human dendritic cell subset and its role in virus‐specific immunity. Journal of Leukocyte Biology. ISSN 0741-5400. 92(1), p. 159–169. doi: 10.1189/jlb.0711360.
• Szabo, Attila; Osman, Rolah M; Bacskai, Ildiko; Kumar, Brahma V; Agod, Zsofia & Lanyi, Arpad [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2012). Temporally designed treatment of melanoma cells by ATRA and polyI:C results in enhanced chemokine and IFNβ secretion controlled differently by TLR3 and MDA5. Melanoma research. ISSN 0960-8931. 22(5), p. 351–361. doi: 10.1097/CMR.0b013e328357076c.
• Benko, Szilvia; Magyarics, Zoltan; Szabo, Attila & Rajnavölgyi, Éva (2008). Dendritic cell subtypes as primary targets of vaccines: the emerging role and cross-talk of pattern recognition receptors. Biological chemistry. ISSN 1431-6730. 389(5), p. 469–485. doi: 10.1515/BC.2008.054.

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• Kildal, Emilie Smith-Meyer; Quintana, Daniel; Szabo, Attila; Tronstad, Christian; Andreassen, Ole & Nærland, Terje (2023). Heart rate monitoring to detect acute pain in non-verbal patients: a study protocol for a randomized controlled clinical trial. BMC Psychiatry. ISSN 1471-244X. 23(1). doi: 10.1186/s12888-023-04757-1. Full text in Research Archive
• Stavrum, Anne-Kristin; Szabo, Attila; Fernandes, Carla Patricia Duarte; Frei, Evgeniia; Djurovic, Srdjan & Le Hellard, Stephanie (2020). Epigenetic Effects of THC and CBD in Neuronal Stem Cells.
• Impellizzeri, Agata Antonina Rita; Szabo, Attila; Fjerdingstad, Hege Brincker; Sullivan, Gareth; Glover, Joel & Andreassen, Ole Andreas [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2017). Using Stem Cells to Understand the Underlying Mechanisms of Polygenic Risk of Severe Mental Disorders.
• Frecska, Ede & Szabo, Attila (2017). The Endogenous Hallucinogen N, N-Dimethyltryptamine Displays Protective Effects Against Hypoxia in Cultured Human Cortical Neurons and Glial-Like Cells and Protects Against Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury. Neuropsychopharmacology. ISSN 0893-133X. 43, p. S111–S112. doi: 10.1038/npp.2017.264.
• Frecska, Ede; Szabo, Attila; Kovacs, Attila & Rajnavölgyi, Éva (2014). The Endogenous Hallucinogen N, N-Dimethyltryptamine and 5-Methoxy-N, N-Dimethyltryptamine Modulate Innate and Adaptive Inflammatory Responses through the sigma-1 Receptor of Human Dendritic Cells. Neuropsychopharmacology. ISSN 0893-133X. p. S620–S621. doi: 10.1038/npp.2014.279.
• Fekete, Tunde; Pazmandi, Kitti; Szabo, Attila; Bácsi, Attila; Koncz, Gábor & Rajnavölgyi, Éva (2014). The mammalian target of rapamycin controls polyi:C-induced antiviral and inflammatory cytokine responses in human conventional dendritic cells. The FEBS Journal. ISSN 1742-464X. 281.
• Szabo, Attila; Kovacs, Attila; Frecska, Ede & Rajnavölgyi, Éva (2014). Activation of the Sigma-1 receptor by specific ligands inhibits human inflammatory dendritic cell functions and effector T-lymphocyte responses. Alzheimer's & Dementia. ISSN 1552-5260. 10(4). doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2014.07.017.
• Rajnavölgyi, Éva; Szabo, Attila; Bene, Krisztian; Lanyi, Arpad; Rethi, Bence & Dezsö, Balazs [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2012). Human CD1a+ dendritic cells mediate potent anti-viral immune responses via Rig-i and Mda5 signalling. Immunology. ISSN 0019-2805. 137.
• Szabo, Attila; Fekete, Tunde; Beltrame, Luca; Cavalieri, Duccio; Rajnavölgyi, Éva & Rethi, Bence (2010). Dendritic cell inactivation by long-term TLR triggering. International Immunology. ISSN 0953-8178. 22, p. ii10–ii24. doi: 10.1093/intimm/dxq111.

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