Increased interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha in first episode schizophrenia patients versus healthy controls.

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory immune processes have been clearly implicated in the etiopathology of schizophrenia. There are, however, only limited data dealing with immune parameters in the first episode patients with schizophrenia and the course of these parameters during treatment.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

The presented study compared plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10 and TNF-alpha in 25 patients with the first episode of schizophrenia with the minimal exposition of antipsychotics before and after treatment and with age and sex matched group of healthy volunteers. Changes in plasma cytokine levels were investigated after 4 weeks of treatment in relationship with the therapeutic outcome.

RESULTS

Our results show significantly increased plasma levels of IL-6 (p≤0.001) and TNF-alpha (p≤0.001) in patients at the admission in comparison with healthy volunteers. After 4 weeks of the treatment the PANSS score decreased (p≤0.001), concurrently the plasma level of IL-6 decreased and TNF-alpha did not show any decrease after treatment. The patients' posttreatment and healthy control group comparison showed higher plasma levels of TNF-alpha (p=0.008) and marginally elevated plasma level of IL-6 (p=0.046) in the posttreatment group. Plasma levels of IL-8 and IL-10 did not show any significant differences.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study validated the presence of the proinflammatory state in the first episode of schizophrenia. IL-6 may be considered as a state marker for acute exacerbations and TNF-alpha may be a trait marker of schizophrenia.