title: Plasma levels of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha in chronic schizophrenia: effects of clozapine treatment.
abstract: Plasma levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) were assessed in 17 chronic schizophrenic patients who had been drug-free for 3 weeks and in 17 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. Plasma concentrations of both cytokines were measured again in 12 patients after a 10-week treatment with clozapine. Compared with healthy controls, drug-free schizophrenic patients exhibited similar plasma IL-6 concentrations, but significantly higher levels of TNF alpha. After clozapine treatment, blood concentrations of TNF alpha fell to normal levels. These preliminary data support an immune activation in drug-free schizophrenic patients and an effect of clozapine on immune parameters.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Monteleone
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fabrazzo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tortorella
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maj
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003024:Clozapine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D003024:Clozapine