Inflammatory and oxidative endophenotypes in borderline personality disorder: A biomarker cluster analysis

ObjectivesThis study is designed to search for aggrupation of inflammatory/oxidative biomarker alterations in borderline personality disorder (BPD) and their association with phenotypic features.MethodologyInflammatory/nitrosative proteins were measures in plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from BPD patients. Patients were assessed on different clinical dimensions of BPD. Oxidative damage was tested by measuring TBARS, nitrites, catalase, GPx and SOD. Protein expression of I kappa B alpha, NF kappa B, iNOS, COX-2, PPAR gamma, Keap1, NQO1, Nrf2 and alpha 7nAChR was also determined. Western blot and ELISA were used for measurements and a cluster analysis of inflammatory/oxidative biomarkers alterations was performed to investigate subgroups of patients with similar alterations and its relationship with clinical features of BPD.Results69 patients were included in the study. Two inflammatory/nitrosative clusters of patients were found: Cluster 1 patients showed significantly higher levels of GPx, I kappa B alpha, keap1, NQO1, PPAR gamma, alpha 7nAChR and Nrf2 than cluster 2 patients. These patients had significantly longer duration of illness, milder anxiety symptoms and lower prescription of antipsychotic drugs than cluster 2.ConclusionsTwo clusters of BPD patients according to the inflammatory/nitrosative profiles were identified. Cluster 1 had increased antioxidant and anti-inflammatory biomarkers and was characterised by greater chronicity of illness but less acute symptomatic severity.