title: Decreased blood levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
abstract: To investigate immune system function in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) we measured plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in 14 drug-free obsessive-compulsive patients and 14 matched healthy controls. No significant differences were observed between patients and controls in plasma levels of IL-1 beta and IL-6, whereas plasma levels of TNF-alpha were significantly lower (p = 0.001) in the former. Blood levels of prolactin did not differ between the two groups, whereas plasma cortisol concentrations were significantly higher in patients than in healthy subjects (p = 0.02). No significant correlation was found between immune parameters, on the one hand, and endocrine or psychopathological measures on the other. These results suggest that OCD is associated with a decreased production in TNF-alpha, but normal synthesis of IL-1 beta and IL-6.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Naples SUN, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Monteleone
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Catapano
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; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000097:blood*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D006854:Hydrocortisone