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Is T ‐helper type 2 shift schizophrenia‐specific? Primary results from a comparison of related psychiatric disorders and healthy controls
Author(s) -
Chiang Sonnig SueWhei,
Riedel Michael,
Schwarz Markus,
Mueller Norbert
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1111/pcn.12040
Subject(s) - schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , psychopathology , cytokine , psychology , interleukin , tumor necrosis factor alpha , psychiatry , immunology , medicine
Aim An imbalance between T ‐helper type 1 ( T h1) and type 2 ( T h2) cytokines has been implicated in schizophrenia, although empirical evidence is rare. The aim of this study was to examine if a T h1/ T h2 imbalance occurs in schizophrenia and schizophrenia‐related disorder. Methods Twenty‐six subjects with schizophrenia, 26 subjects with schizophrenia‐related disorders, and 26 healthy controls were recruited. The Human T h1/ T h2 Cytokine Cytometric Bead Array Kit‐ II was utilized to assess serum T h1/ T h2 cytokines and ratios simultaneously. MANOVA was used to detect differences among the three diagnostic groups in distinct T h1/ T h2 cytokines/ratios. Pearson/Spearman correlations were used to examine the relationships between distinct T h1/ T h2 cytokines/ratios and clinical/psychopathological data in schizophrenia. Results Interferon ( IFN) ‐γ/interleukin ( IL) ‐4, IFN ‐γ/ IL ‐10, IL ‐2/ IL ‐4, and tumor necrosis factor ( TNF) ‐α/ IL ‐4 ratios were significantly decreased in schizophrenia, but not in schizophrenia‐related disorders compared to healthy controls. IFN ‐γ/ IL ‐4 and IFN ‐γ/ IL ‐10 in schizophrenia subjects positively correlated with age, but not in schizophrenia‐related disorder subjects or in healthy controls. Conclusion A clear T h2 shift was observed in schizophrenia, but not in schizophrenia‐related disorders. The T h2 shift in schizophrenia appeared to be an aberrant developmental phenomenon.