[A change of immune profile of patients with schizophrenia during treatment]

Cellular and humoral immunological parameters have been studied in 59 schizophrenic patients and 38 healthy controls. Immunological indices (CIC, autoantibodies to cardiolipin) were found to be significantly elevated in patients in the acute disease stage before the treatment. After olanzapin therapy, a level of these parameters decreased and did not differ from that of controls. In patients, irrespective of clinical condition and treatment, functional activity of immunocompetent cells (phagocyte activity of neutrophils and monocytes, cytotoxic activity of lymphocytes natural killers, interleukin-2, interleukin-10 and gamma-interferon production), was significantly lower both before the treatment as after therapy, i.e. did not change during the whole study (28 weeks). In responders, a level of IL-1B production was higher than in controls before and during the treatment. In non-responders, it was similar to that in controls before the therapy, and increased during the treatment to a higher level.