Antipsychotics can modulate the cytokine profile in schizophrenia: Attenuation of the type-2 inflammatory response

• Published in: Schizophrenia research 2013-06, Vol.147 (1), p.103-109
• Main Authors: Borovcanin, Milica, Jovanovic, Ivan, Radosavljevic, Gordana, Djukic Dejanovic, Slavica, Stefanovic, Vesna, Arsenijevic, Nebojsa, Lukic, Miodrag L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Antipsychotic Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Cytokines - metabolism; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neuropharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychiatry; Psycholeptics: tranquillizer, neuroleptic; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Psychoses; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - drug therapy; Schizophrenia - metabolism; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0920-9964; 1573-2509
• DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2013.03.027

Abstract Objective We recently reported that the type-2 cytokine response is increased in schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to analyse the effects of antipsychotic drugs on the serum levels of type-1 (TNF-α, IFN-γ), type-2 (IL-4, IL-10), type-17 (IL-17) and regulatory cytokines (TGF-β, IL-27 and IL-6). Methods Cytokine measurements in the patients were performed on day 0 and day 30 of the treatment using standard ELISA assays. Three groups of subjects were studied: patients that were unmedicated with First Episode Psychosis (FEP; n = 88), patients that were treated with antipsychotics with Schizophrenia in relapse (SC in relapse; n = 45) and healthy controls (n = 36). Results TGF-β levels were increased in both patient groups and were further enhanced after treatment in the FEP group ( p = 0.014) but not in the SC relapse group. Antipsychotic treatment was correlated with lower levels of IL-4, IL-6 and IL-27 ( p < 0.005) in the FEP group. Finally, the serum levels of IL-17 were not significantly altered between the two measurements but were significantly lower in the FEP group ( p < 0.001) when compared with healthy controls. After therapy, patients with SC who were in relapse had decreased serum levels of IL-4 ( p = 0.006) and IL-6 ( p = 0.007). We also observed a weak negative correlation between the IFN-γ/TGF-β ratio and the total PANSS score and between the IL-17/TGF-β ratio and the negative and general psychopathology subscales. Conclusion The increased type-2 cytokine serum levels in schizophrenia appear to be downregulated by antipsychotic treatment.