title: Increased Interleukin-17 and decreased BAFF serum levels in drug-free acute schizophrenia.
abstract: Hypotheses regarding an immune-cytokine basis of schizophrenia have been postulated with controversial findings and a lack of data related to many cytokines. The aim of this study was to assess serum levels of Interferon-γ (IFN-γ), Interleukin-4 (IL-4), Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β), Interleukin-17 (IL-17) and B-cell Activating Factor (BAFF) in schizophrenic patients and to determine correlations between cytokine levels and clinical parameters. Serum cytokine levels were measured with ELISA techniques in 60 neuroleptic-free patients on acute phase of the disease (BPRS≥40) and 28 healthy controls matched for age and sex. Current symptoms were assessed with Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS) and Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS). No significant difference was found between patients and controls regarding IFN-γ serum levels. IL-4 was not detected in both groups. Patients exhibited significantly higher IL-17 and lower BAFF serum levels. IL-17 and BAFF levels were negatively correlated in schizophrenic patients. SANS global score was negatively correlated with IL-17 and positively correlated with IFN-γ serum levels. These results argue against the involvement of Th1 or Th2 population cells in schizophrenia. IL-17 and BAFF could be valuable markers for schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Farhat Hached University Hospital, Ibn El Jazzar Street, Sousse 4000, Tunisia. Electronic address: yousri.elkissi@rns.tn.
authors.forename: Yousri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: El Kissi
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Farhat Hached University Hospital, Ibn El Jazzar Street, Sousse 4000, Tunisia; Research Unit (UR02SP13), Farhat Hached University Hospital, Ibn El Jazzar Street, Sousse 4000, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Samar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Samoud
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Farhat Hached University Hospital, Ibn El Jazzar Street, Sousse 4000, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Ahlem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mtiraoui
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Farhat Hached University Hospital, Ibn El Jazzar Street, Sousse 4000, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Letaief
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Farhat Hached University Hospital, Ibn El Jazzar Street, Sousse 4000, Tunisia; Research Unit (UR02SP13), Farhat Hached University Hospital, Ibn El Jazzar Street, Sousse 4000, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Neila
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hannachi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Farhat Hached University Hospital, Ibn El Jazzar Street, Sousse 4000, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mouna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ayachi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Farhat Hached University Hospital, Ibn El Jazzar Street, Sousse 4000, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Bechir Ben Hadj
authors.initials: BBH
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Farhat Hached University Hospital, Ibn El Jazzar Street, Sousse 4000, Tunisia; Research Unit (UR02SP13), Farhat Hached University Hospital, Ibn El Jazzar Street, Sousse 4000, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Jalel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boukadida
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood*; D015847:Interleukin-4; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D015415:Biomarkers; D020381:Interleukin-17; C505719:TNFSF13B protein, human; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: BAFF; Cytokines; IL-17; Immune; Schizophrenia