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[A change of immune profile of patients with schizophrenia during treatment]
Insights
Schizophrenia patients show elevated immune markers like circulating immune complexes (CIC) and cardiolipin autoantibodies, which normalize after olanzapine treatment. However, cellular immune function remains impaired, with IL-1B levels differing between treatment responders and non-responders.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Psychiatry
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Schizophrenia is associated with immune system dysregulation.
- Specific immunological parameters in schizophrenia require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cellular and humoral immunological parameters in schizophrenia patients.
- To assess the impact of olanzapine therapy on these parameters.
Main Methods:
- Studied 59 schizophrenic patients and 38 healthy controls.
- Measured circulating immune complexes (CIC), autoantibodies to cardiolipin, and functional activity of immunocompetent cells (neutrophils, monocytes, NK cells).
- Assessed production of interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-10 (IL-10), gamma-interferon, and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1B) before and after 28 weeks of olanzapine therapy.
Main Results:
- CIC and cardiolipin autoantibodies were elevated in acute schizophrenia, normalizing after olanzapine treatment.
- Cellular immune functions (phagocytic, cytotoxic activity, IL-2, IL-10, gamma-interferon production) were significantly lower in patients and unchanged by therapy.
- IL-1B production was higher in responders than controls, while non-responders showed increased IL-1B during treatment.
Conclusions:
- Olanzapine therapy can normalize specific humoral immune markers in schizophrenia.
- Cellular immune deficits in schizophrenia appear persistent and are not significantly altered by olanzapine treatment.
- Interleukin-1 beta production may serve as a differential marker for treatment response in schizophrenia.
Abstract:
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.
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