Manjula Subbanna1,2, Venkataram Shivakumar2,3, Deepthi Venugopal1,2, Janardhanan C Narayanaswamy2,3, Michael Berk4,5, Shivarama Varambally2,3, Ganesan Venkatasubramanian2,3, Monojit Debnath1. 1. Department of Human Genetics, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India. 2. Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India. 3. Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India. 4. School of Medicine, IMPACT Strategic Research Centre, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia. 5. Orygen, Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Abstract
AIM: Immunopathogenesis remains a widely appreciated etiopathological model of schizophrenia. Persistent efforts have aimed to identify schizophrenia biomarkers indexing immune system abnormalities and also immuno-dampening effects of antipsychotic medications. Although data arising from published reports are encouraging, such studies are limited to a few immune parameters and not focused on a specific pathway. Th17 cells-mediated immuno-inflammatory responses have emerged as a potential mechanism in various neuropsychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia. The Th17 pathway is distinctly regulated through a coordinated action of multiple cytokines and transcription factors. In this study, we explored whether antipsychotic medication has any effect on the cytokines and transcription factors of the Th17 pathway. METHODS: A total of 27 drug-naive schizophrenia patients were recruited and followed up for 3 months after initiation of antipsychotic medication. Lymphocyte gene expression levels of two transcription factors (STAT3 and RORC) and one of their upstream regulators, IL6, were quantified before and after treatment. Plasma levels of cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-17A, IL-23, and IL-33, were also analyzed before and after treatment. RESULTS: Treatment with antipsychotic medication for 3 months resulted in significant downregulation of STAT3 gene expression as well as reduction in plasma levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-17A. Significant reduction in total scores for the Scale for Assessment of Positive Symptoms and the Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms was also observed in schizophrenia patients after 3 months of antipsychotic treatment. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest possible immuno-modulatory effects of antipsychotic medication on the critical regulators, such as IL-6 and STAT3, of the Th17 pathway in schizophrenia patients. The IL-6/STAT3 signaling axis involved in the transcriptional regulation of Th17 cells might appear as an important target of antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia patients. Alternatively, irrespective of the effect of antipsychotic drugs, the IL-6/STAT3 signaling axis might be crucially involved in ameliorating psychotic symptoms.
AIM: Immunopathogenesis remains a widely appreciated etiopathological model of schizophrenia. Persistent efforts have aimed to identify schizophrenia biomarkers indexing immune system abnormalities and also immuno-dampening effects of antipsychotic medications. Although data arising from published reports are encouraging, such studies are limited to a few immune parameters and not focused on a specific pathway. Th17 cells-mediated immuno-inflammatory responses have emerged as a potential mechanism in various neuropsychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia. The Th17 pathway is distinctly regulated through a coordinated action of multiple cytokines and transcription factors. In this study, we explored whether antipsychotic medication has any effect on the cytokines and transcription factors of the Th17 pathway. METHODS: A total of 27 drug-naive schizophreniapatients were recruited and followed up for 3 months after initiation of antipsychotic medication. Lymphocyte gene expression levels of two transcription factors (STAT3 and RORC) and one of their upstream regulators, IL6, were quantified before and after treatment. Plasma levels of cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-17A, IL-23, and IL-33, were also analyzed before and after treatment. RESULTS: Treatment with antipsychotic medication for 3 months resulted in significant downregulation of STAT3 gene expression as well as reduction in plasma levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-17A. Significant reduction in total scores for the Scale for Assessment of Positive Symptoms and the Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms was also observed in schizophreniapatients after 3 months of antipsychotic treatment. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest possible immuno-modulatory effects of antipsychotic medication on the critical regulators, such as IL-6 and STAT3, of the Th17 pathway in schizophreniapatients. The IL-6/STAT3 signaling axis involved in the transcriptional regulation of Th17 cells might appear as an important target of antipsychotic treatment in schizophreniapatients. Alternatively, irrespective of the effect of antipsychotic drugs, the IL-6/STAT3 signaling axis might be crucially involved in ameliorating psychotic symptoms.
Authors: Tyler R Prestwood; Roshanak Asgariroozbehani; Sally Wu; Sri Mahavir Agarwal; Ryan W Logan; Jacob S Ballon; Margaret K Hahn; Zachary Freyberg Journal: Behav Brain Res Date: 2021-01-14 Impact factor: 3.332
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