title: Neuroimmune-endocrine crosstalk in schizophrenia and mood disorders.
abstract: This review focuses on possible causes and the impact of different immune states in schizophrenia and major depression. It discusses the fact that, in schizophrenia, an over-activation of the type 2 immune response may dominate, while the type 1 and the pro-inflammatory immune responses are over-activated in major depression. The consequence of these diverse immune states is the activation and, respectively, inhibition of different enzymes in tryptophan/kynurenine metabolism, which may lead to an overemphasis of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonism in schizophrenia and of NMDA-receptor agonism in depression, resulting in glutamatergic hypofunction in schizophrenia and glutamatergic hyperfunction in major depression. In addition, the activation of the type 1 and the pro-inflammatory immune responses in major depression result in increased serotonin degradation and a serotonergic deficit. While antipsychotics and antidepressants today mainly act on the dopaminergic-glutamatergic and the noradrenergic-serotonergic neurotransmission, anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating therapies might act more basically at the pathophysiological mechanism. The limitations of this concept, however, are critically discussed.
authors.affiliation: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Hospital for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 80336 München, Germany. Norbert.Mueller@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Markus J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Schwarz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D004703:Endocrine System / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D018448:Models, Immunological; D008959:Models, Neurological; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D015213:Neuroimmunomodulation / Q000276:immunology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents