Abstract
BackgroundAccumulating evidence indicates that schizophrenia is accompanied by significant activation of the immune system; however, there is limited data from low and middle-income countries (LMIC). Inflammatory markers may be more relevant in LMIC settings where infectious conditions are more prevalent and may thus play some role in the causation and maintenance of schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to assess the level of inflammatory markers high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in patients with schizophrenia.Materials and methodsThe study population consisted of a total of 132 study participants; 82 participants with schizophrenia and 50 controls. hsCRP and IL-6 were measured using Cobas Integra 400 Plus and Cobas e 411 analysers respectively.ResultsThe levels of hsCRP and IL-6 were significantly increased among participants with schizophrenia compared to controls: hsCRP mean value 2.87 ± 5.6 vs 0.67 ± 0.6 mg/L; IL-6 mean value 6.63 ± 5.6 vs 3.37 ± 4.0 pg/ml. Controlling for potential confounders (age, sex and body mass index), having a diagnosis of schizophrenia remained significantly associated with increased hsCRP and IL-6.ConclusionThe results confirm that inflammatory processes may have a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia regardless of setting. Despite failure of some interventions with anti-inflammatory properties, interventions to reduce inflammation are still worth pursuing.
Highlights
Accumulating evidence indicates that schizophrenia is accompanied by significant activation of the immune system; there is limited data from low and middle-income countries (LMIC)
The levels of high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and IL-6 were significantly increased among participants with schizophrenia compared to controls: hsCRP mean value 2.87 ± 5.6 vs 0.67 ± 0.6 mg/L; IL-6 mean value 6.63 ± 5.6 vs 3.37 ± 4.0 pg/ml
Controlling for potential confounders, having a diagnosis of schizophrenia remained significantly associated with increased hsCRP and IL-6
Summary
Accumulating evidence indicates that schizophrenia is accompanied by significant activation of the immune system; there is limited data from low and middle-income countries (LMIC). The aim of this study was to assess the level of inflammatory markers high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in patients with schizophrenia. Casualty has not been proven, high C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) concentration are reported in mental disorders [11]. CRP is nonspecific serum protein, traditionally considered as an acute phase immune response marker. It is mainly produced by liver cells and it is directly modulated by both interleukins (IL) 1β and IL-6, inflammatory markers increased during psychotic states [12,13,14]. In a recent large longitudinal meta-analysis study that included 26 studies and 85,000 subjects, the serum levels of inflammatory markers were not affected with the introduction of antipsychotic medications [16]
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