title: Schizophrenia patients with a history of childhood trauma have a pro-inflammatory phenotype.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increasing evidence indicates that childhood trauma is a risk factor for schizophrenia and patients with this syndrome have a pro-inflammatory phenotype. We tested the hypothesis that the pro-inflammatory phenotype in schizophrenia is associated with childhood trauma and that patients without a history of such trauma have a similar immune profile to healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 40 schizophrenia patients and 40 controls, all of whom completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques, we measured peripheral levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α. These immune parameters were compared in schizophrenia with childhood trauma, schizophrenia without childhood trauma and healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with childhood trauma had higher levels of IL-6 and TNF-α than patients without trauma and healthy controls, and TNF-α levels correlated with the extent of the trauma. Patients with no trauma had similar immune profiles to controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Childhood trauma drives changes, possibly epigenetic, that generate a pro-inflammatory phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland. una.dennison@hse.ie
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Dennison
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McKernan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cryan
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dinan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000523:psychology*; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000276:immunology*; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000276:immunology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000276:immunology; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063129:Parental Death / Q000523:psychology; D010641:Phenotype; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000276:immunology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000276:immunology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha