Elevated C-reactive protein as a predictor of a random one-year clinical course in the first ten years of schizophrenia.

We investigate whether C-reactive protein (CRP) levels could predict the clinical course of patients with schizophrenia in a prospective study of 50 stable outpatients during a random 1-year period within the first 10 years of illness. Positive, negative, depressive, and cognitive symptoms were evaluated. Patients with low-grade inflammation (CRP = 3-10 mg/L; 28%) at baseline showed significant worsening of PANSS-positive and general psychopathology at 1-year follow-up compared with those with CRP ≤ 3 mg/L. Elevated CRP may be a biomarker of poor 1-year clinical course in patients with schizophrenia.