Effect of lithium therapy on inflammatory response

Chemiluminescence produced by normal cells was reduced in response to zymosan which was opsonized with serum from patients on prophylactic lithium therapy, compared to control serum from normal subjects (68 +/- 3.1 vs. 93 +/- 3.4 mV/5 X 10(5) cells). Preincubation of normal cells with serum from patients also resulted in reduced chemiluminescence activity when the cells were stimulated with autologous serum-coated zymosan (47 +/- 4.5 vs. 64 +/- 6.3 mV/5 X 10(5) cells). Spontaneous complement conversion was increased in the serum of patients on lithium therapy (46.3 +/- 3.8 vs. 25.3 +/- 2.5% conversion). These studies demonstrated that lithium, at safe therapeutic levels (0.4-0.9 mmol/liter), significantly altered complement conversion and had a marked affect on chemiluminescence activity by normal cells.