title: Increased interleukin 23 (IL23) levels in schizophrenia patients treated with depot antipsychotic medication.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Schizophrenia is a mental disorder, where genetic and environmental factors contribute to disease onset and progression. The immune system appears to play a role in schizophrenia, where altered cytokines levels and autoantibodies have been described. Notably however, to our knowledge, IL23 levels have not before been measured in schizophrenia patients treated with depot medication.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined IL23 levels in serum samples obtained from patients with schizophrenia, treated with depot medication (n=35) compared with healthy controls (n=38) and correlated these levels with treatment time, patient age and illness severity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IL23 levels were raised in depot treated groups compared with healthy controls. No correlation was observed, however, between IL23 levels and treatment time, patient age or illness severity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IL23 levels are raised in schizophrenia patients prescribed with depot medication, supporting the role of aberrant cytokine signalling in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Drug Development, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London and The Maudsley Hospital, London, UK; St. Vincent's Hospital Fairview, Fairview, Dublin, Ireland. Electronic address: kara.o'connell@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Kara E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: O'Connell
authors.affiliation: St. Vincent's Hospital Fairview, Fairview, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Jogin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thakore
authors.affiliation: Drug Development, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Kumlesh K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Dev
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053760:Interleukin-23 Subunit p19 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; C508840:IL23A protein, human; D053760:Interleukin-23 Subunit p19
keywords: Antipsychotics; Cytokines; Depot medication; IL23; Schizophrenia