Jiwan Gurung1, Dependra Chamlagai1, Nirmal Kumar Bera2, Tapas Kumar Chaudhuri3, Bisu Singh1. 1. a Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences , Sikkim University , Sikkim , India. 2. b Department of Psychiatry , North Bengal Medical College, and Hospital , Siliguri , India. 3. c Department of Zoology, Cellular Immunology Laboratory , University of North Bengal , Siliguri , India.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Chronic, low-grade inflammation is a proposed etiological factor associated with schizophrenia. Thus, various studies have been conducted to understand the role of inflammatory process in schizophrenia by using inflammatory maker C-reactive protein (CRP) with conflicting findings. Inadvertently, studies of CRP among the Indian schizophrenia patients are very few. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to investigate the role of inflammatory process among Indian Bengalee schizophrenia patients of Siliguri, using the marker CRP and its stimulating cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6). In addition, the study also intended to investigate the immunomodulatory effect of antipsychotic medication on serum levels of CRP and IL-6. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The serum levels of CRP and IL-6 were measured by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) among 67 antipsychotic medicating, 28 psychotropic medication-free schizophrenia patients, and it was compared with 72 age, sex and ethnicity-matched controls. RESULTS: A significantly higher level of CRP and IL-6 were recorded among the antipsychotic medicating patients. Although CRP was found to be higher among the psychotropic medication-free patients than the controls, it was not found to be significant. However, a significantly higher level of IL-6 was observed in this group. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide the evidence for a possible immunomodulatory effect of antipsychotic drugs on CRP. Future investigations including the study of antipsychotics separately may help to understand the differential effects of individual antipsychotics on CRP level. Additional studies with a larger sample size of psychotropic medication-free patients may help to verify the role of inflammation in schizophrenia patients of this region.
PURPOSE: Chronic, low-grade inflammation is a proposed etiological factor associated with schizophrenia. Thus, various studies have been conducted to understand the role of inflammatory process in schizophrenia by using inflammatory maker C-reactive protein (CRP) with conflicting findings. Inadvertently, studies of CRP among the Indian schizophreniapatients are very few. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to investigate the role of inflammatory process among Indian Bengalee schizophreniapatients of Siliguri, using the marker CRP and its stimulating cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6). In addition, the study also intended to investigate the immunomodulatory effect of antipsychotic medication on serum levels of CRP and IL-6. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The serum levels of CRP and IL-6 were measured by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) among 67 antipsychotic medicating, 28 psychotropic medication-free schizophreniapatients, and it was compared with 72 age, sex and ethnicity-matched controls. RESULTS: A significantly higher level of CRP and IL-6 were recorded among the antipsychotic medicating patients. Although CRP was found to be higher among the psychotropic medication-free patients than the controls, it was not found to be significant. However, a significantly higher level of IL-6 was observed in this group. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide the evidence for a possible immunomodulatory effect of antipsychotic drugs on CRP. Future investigations including the study of antipsychotics separately may help to understand the differential effects of individual antipsychotics on CRP level. Additional studies with a larger sample size of psychotropic medication-free patients may help to verify the role of inflammation in schizophreniapatients of this region.