title: Interleukin-12 plasma levels in drug-naïve patients with a first episode of psychosis: effects of antipsychotic drugs.
abstract: An overactivation of the Th1 activity in schizophrenia had been described. Interleukin-12 (IL-12), a proinflammatory cytokine, plays a key role in the regulation of the Th1 response. The aims of this study were to investigate the effect of first and second generation antipsychotic drugs on IL-12 production during the acute phase of the illness and its association with clinical features. Participants comprised 56 drug-naïve first episode psychotic patients and 28 healthy volunteers. Patients were initially randomly assigned to risperidone (n=16), olanzapine (n=20) or haloperidol (n=20); subject were maintained on the same medication throughout the study. Clinical assessments were conducted at baseline and at 6 weeks. IL-12 plasma levels were assessed at baseline and after 6 weeks of antipsychotic treatment. IL-12 haplotypes were also analysed. Patients showed higher IL-12 plasma levels at baseline compared with controls, and had a significant increase in IL-12 plasma level after 6 weeks of antipsychotic treatment. No significant differences in IL-12 level increase were found among the three antipsychotic treatments. IL-12 plasma levels at week 6 were not significantly associated with the severity of psychopathology at week 6. Thus, patients with a first episode of psychosis have inflammatory-like immunological function during early phases of the illness that it is independent of the antipsychotic treatment used.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain. bcfacorro@humv.es
authors.forename: Benedicto
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Crespo-Facorro
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carrasco-Marín
authors.forename: Rocío
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pérez-Iglesias
authors.forename: José María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pelayo-Terán
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Prieto
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Leyva-Cobián
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vázquez-Barquero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003710:Demography; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D000077152:Olanzapine; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018967:Risperidone / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D018664:Interleukin-12; D006220:Haloperidol; D018967:Risperidone; D000077152:Olanzapine