title: Increased serum levels of inflammatory markers in chronic institutionalized patients with schizophrenia.
abstract: Activation of the cytokine systems may be involved in the neuropathological changes occurring in the central nervous systems of schizophrenic patients. However, associations between the levels of cytokines and the severity of symptoms have not been completely established.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  It was the aim of this study to evaluate serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and their soluble receptors (sTNFR) in schizophrenic patients and healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty male institutionalized schizophrenic patients (mean age +/- SD, 52.3 +/- 9.9 years) and 20 asymptomatic matched controls were recruited. The severity of symptoms was assessed using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale. Serum levels of cytokines were measured by ELISAs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum levels of sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 were increased in schizophrenic patients when compared with controls (all p < 0.05), but there was no difference in TNF-alpha levels. There was no correlation between the length of disease/hospitalization or the severity of symptoms and the serum levels of these molecules.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Inflammatory markers are increased in schizophrenia but they do not correlate with symptom severity.
authors.affiliation: Group of Neuroimmunology, Laboratory of Immunopharmacology, Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda Matos
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.forename: Helton José
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nicolato
authors.forename: Marco Aurélio
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Romano-Silva
authors.forename: Mauro Martins
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: Moisés Evandro
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Antonio Lucio
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Teixeira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D012016:Reference Values; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha