| Schizophrenia is a psychotic disease to be commonly seen. But we have not known its cause and pathogenesis completely. Since Villemain had reported that the competence of interleukin-2(IL-2) was deficient in 12 schizophrenic patients, more and more researchers have discovered that schizophrenic patients had immune dysfunction. Both humoral immune and cellular immune presented with abnormalities. During the past ten years, the relationship of interaction and regulation between neuro system and immune system have been learned. The investigations of cytokine and immunogloblin in schizophrenia have become one of the major topics of psychoimmunology. At present, there are many reports about the alternations of IL-2, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and immunoglobulin G (IgG )in schizophrenia. But the conclusions are different. Furthermore, many studies were only carried out in plasma or in cerebrospinal fluid. The objective of this study is to evaluate the concentration alternations of IL-2, IL-6 and IgG in both plasma and cerebrospinal fluid of schizophrenic patients at the same time. Then we may explore the immune status of schizophrenic patients and Blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier impairment in schizophrenia? What is the correlation between cytokine and immunoglobulin and how do atypical antipsychotic agent affect immunological symbol in schizophrenia. We collected 30 patientswho fulfilled 《 C C M D - 3 》 criteria for first episode paranoid schizophrenia ,excluding from the effect of antipsychotic agent, and obtained plasma and cerebrospinal fluid on admission. Clozapine was singly used in schizophrenic patients. We obtained plasma again when schizophrenic patients were in a state of initial remission 6 weeks after admission. The contents of IL-2 and IL-6 were measured with emzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The content of IgG was measured with rate nephelometry. 20 men without psychotic disease were enrolled as control group. The parameters were performed by statistics analysis.The results were shown as follows: 1 On admission, the levels of IL-2, IL-6 and IgG were significantly higher in both plasma and cerebrospinal fluid in schizophrenic patients in comparison to control groups (P<0.05). 2 Six weeks after admission, no significant difference was observed about the IL-2 levels in the plasma between two groups (P>0.05). When compared to control groups, the schizophrenic patients showed a significantly higher levels of IL-6 and IgG (p<0.05) 3 When initial remission compared with active disease, the IL-2 level in the plasma was significantly lower (P<0.05). There was a trend of increase for the IL-6 levels, but no pronounced difference was observed (P>0.05). No obvious difference was observed for the IgG levels. 4 In control groups, IgG levels was positively correlated with IL-2 and IL-6 in the plasma, and had no direct correlation with IL-2 and IL-6 in the cerebrospinal fluid. The levels of IgG in the cerebrospinal fluid were positively correlated with those in the plasma. In schizophrenia, there were no correlation between IL-2 and IgG in both plasma and cerebrospinal fluid in active disease. No apparent correlation was observed between IgG and IL-2 in the plasma in initial remission, butIgG was positively correlated with IL-6. The levels of IgG in the cerebrospmal fluid were positively correlated with those in the plasma.According to the above results, we concluded: Schizophrenia had immune dysfunction and night be in a state of immune activation. The decreased IL-2 levels of plasma in initial remission may be considered as a reference parameter for the effect of antipsychotic agent (especially clozapine) on the immune alternation. The IL-6 levels of plasma were related to multiple factors. It is hard to regard IL-6 as a sensitive parameter of the effect of antipsychotic agent. Increased IL-2 and IL-6 levels in schizophrenic patients may be one of pathophysiological mechanisms of psychotic disorder. Blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier impairment may be the theory of increased IgG levels of... |
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