Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran.
Golestan Research Center of Psychiatry (GRCP), Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.
BMC Psychiatry. 2024 Oct 11;24(1):677. doi: 10.1186/s12888-024-06032-3.
Major psychotic disorders (MPD), including schizophrenia (SCZ) and schizoaffective disorder (SAD), are severe neuropsychiatric conditions with unclear causes. Understanding their pathophysiology is essential for better diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Recent research highlights the role of inflammation and the immune system, particularly the Interleukin 17 (IL-17) family, in these disorders. Elevated IL-17 levels have been found in MPD, and human IL-17 A antibodies are available. Changes in chemokine levels, such as CCL20, are also noted in SCZ. This study investigates the relationship between serum levels of IL-17 A and CCL20 in MPD patients and their clinical characteristics.
We conducted a case-control study at the Ibn Sina Psychiatric Hospital (Mashhad, Iran) in 2023. The study involved 101 participants, of which 71 were MPD patients and 30 were healthy controls (HC). The Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) was utilized to assess the symptoms of MPD patients. Serum levels of CCL20 and IL-17 A were measured using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kits. We also gathered data on lipid profiles and Fasting Blood Glucose (FBS).
The mean age of patients was 41.04 ± 9.93 years. The median serum levels of CCL20 and IL-17 A were significantly elevated in MPD patients compared to HC (5.8 (4.1-15.3) pg/mL and 4.2 (3-5) pg/mL, respectively; p < 0.001). Furthermore, CCL20 and IL-17 A levels showed a positive correlation with the severity of MPD. MPD patients also had significantly higher FBS, cholesterol, and Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) levels, and lower High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) levels compared to HC. No significant relationship was found between PANSS components and blood levels of IL17 and CCL20.
The current study revealed that the serum levels of IL-17 A and CCL20 in schizophrenia patients are higher than those in the control group. Metabolic factors such as FBS, cholesterol, HDL, and LDL also showed significant differences between MPD and HC. In conclusion, the findings suggest that these two inflammatory factors could serve as potential therapeutic targets and prognostic biomarkers for schizophrenia.
主要精神障碍（MPD），包括精神分裂症（SCZ）和分裂情感障碍（SAD），是严重的神经精神疾病，其病因尚不清楚。了解其病理生理学对于更好的诊断、治疗和预后至关重要。最近的研究强调了炎症和免疫系统的作用，特别是白细胞介素 17（IL-17）家族，在这些疾病中的作用。在 MPD 中发现了升高的 IL-17 水平，并且有人类 IL-17A 抗体可用。在 SCZ 中也注意到趋化因子水平（如 CCL20）的变化。本研究调查了 MPD 患者血清中 IL-17A 和 CCL20 水平与他们的临床特征之间的关系。
我们于 2023 年在 Ibn Sina 精神病院（伊朗马什哈德）进行了一项病例对照研究。研究涉及 101 名参与者，其中 71 名是 MPD 患者，30 名是健康对照组（HC）。使用阳性和阴性症状量表（PANSS）评估 MPD 患者的症状。使用酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）试剂盒测量血清中 CCL20 和 IL-17A 的水平。我们还收集了血脂谱和空腹血糖（FBS）的数据。
患者的平均年龄为 41.04±9.93 岁。与 HC 相比，MPD 患者的血清 CCL20 和 IL-17A 水平中位数明显升高（分别为 5.8（4.1-15.3）pg/mL 和 4.2（3-5）pg/mL；p<0.001）。此外，CCL20 和 IL-17A 水平与 MPD 的严重程度呈正相关。MPD 患者的空腹血糖、胆固醇、低密度脂蛋白（LDL）水平也明显高于 HC，而高密度脂蛋白（HDL）水平则较低。PANSS 各成分与 IL17 和 CCL20 的血液水平之间未发现显著关系。
本研究表明，精神分裂症患者的血清 IL-17A 和 CCL20 水平高于对照组。代谢因素，如 FBS、胆固醇、HDL 和 LDL，在 MPD 和 HC 之间也有显著差异。总之，这些发现表明这两种炎症因子可能成为精神分裂症的潜在治疗靶点和预后生物标志物。
