Immune parameters in rapid cycling bipolar patients before and after lithium treatment

This study investigates immune function in rapid cycling bipolar patients and normal volunteers before and after 30 days of lithium treatment. Previous small studies in symptomatic bipolar patients suggested that nonspecific immune activation might be present. While studies of the effects of lithium on immune function found that lithium increased serum SIL-2RS in normal volunteers and seemed to normalize immune function in bipolar patients. We hypothesized that the immune profile of rapid cycling bipolar patients would also manifest immune activation that lithium treatment might normalize. The more stable serum immune measures (SIL-2RS and SIL-6RS) were increased in symptomatic rapid cycling patients and did normalize with lithium treatment. Lithium treatment increased IL-2, SIL-2RS and SIL-6RS in normal volunteers. These data suggest that rapid cycling bipolar patients may have mild immune activation which seems to normalize with lithium treatment.