[The changes of the function of lymphocytes natural killers in schizophrenics]

Cytotoxic activity and lymphocyte natural killers (NK) number as well as gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN) production were studied in patients with paranoid (22 patients) and progressive attack-like (39 patients) schizophrenia (47 male and 14 female patients aged 16-62 years). Compared to controls, a decrease of NK activity and a trend towards gamma-IFN production decrease were found. In the patients, NK lymphocytes number was not changed. Cytotoxic activity was reduced only in the male patients, a frequency of cases with lower activity level being the highest in those with more severe form of paranoid schizophrenia. A significant difference of both indices was detected between men and women. In the men, the longer was the disease duration, the higher was cytotoxic activity and lymphocyte number increase. It was shown in vitro that monocytes are not involved in mechanisms changing the level of lymphocyte cytotoxicity in the patients and immune modulator enkad stimulats cytotoxic activity in the male patients.