Leukocyte adhesiveness/aggregation and neuroleptic drug treatment

Leukocyte adhesiveness/aggregation as measured by the leukergy test was studied in peripheral citrated blood of two groups of schizophrenic patients treated with neuroleptic drugs. In the first group (N = 25) leukergy test was performed before and after commencement of neuroleptic treatment to acutely psychotic hospitalized patients. The second group studied (N = 25) were stabilized outpatients receiving long term neuroleptic medications for at least 3 months. There was a significant rise in leukergy rates between the drug free period and the subsequent measurements performed after 1 and 7 days of neuroleptic treatment in the first group (p less than 0.001). Similar high leukergy rates were noted in the second group of remitted patients. High leukergy rates were related to neuroleptic therapy and not to the psychotic state of the patients.