Stimulated lymphocytes in schizophrenia.

This study examines the effect of neuroleptic medication on the distribution of the reported atypical lymphocytes of schizophrenia. The predominant atypical type in schizophrenia was termed the P-type atypical lymphocyte to differentiate the cell from other types of peripheral lymphocytes. Such P cells showed stimulated features: clear cytoplasmic basophilia and an irregularly shaped nucleus with a leptochromatic structure and occasionally one or two nucleoli, but the cell size ranged from small to large. P cells were found in all 42 schizophrenic patients examined and ranged from 5% to 45% of lymphocytes. Patients receiving neuroleptic medication had a lower mean percentage of P cells (17.8%) compared with patients not receiving neuroleptic medication (28.7%). The findings indicate that neuroleptic medication in not likely to be inducing the P-cell reaction.