title: Effects of Electroconvulsive Therapy on Some Inflammatory Factors in Patients With Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most effective option for several psychiatric conditions, including treatment-resistant schizophrenia. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism of action of ECT. The link between inflammatory system and schizophrenia is the focus of recent studies. However, the impact of ECT on inflammatory functioning in this disorder remains elusive. Whether ECT could modulate inflammatory factors in patients with schizophrenia was examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), myeloperoxidase (MPO), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation were analyzed in 20 schizophrenic patients, mainly with resistant to antipsychotic medication disorders, and in 20 sex- and age-matched healthy controls. Disease severity was evaluated using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. All patients were followed with measurement of the inflammatory factors before and after ECT treatment and compared with the controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with schizophrenia had markedly raised NF-κB and but decreased TGF-β levels compared with healthy controls. On the other hand, no significant differences were found for the levels of IL-4 and MPO levels. The clinical improvement during repeated ECT was accompanied by a gradual and significant increase in IL-4 and TGF-β level, but MPO and NF-κB activation were left unaffected. Increases in TGF-β were negatively correlated with the change in Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale scores after ECT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is shown that ECT, while increasing the anti-inflammatory response such as the levels of IL-4 and TGF-β, it did not affect the levels of MPO and NF-κB activation in this study.
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of *Psychiatry and †Biochemistry, Medical School, and ‡Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sukru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kartalci
authors.forename: Aysun Bay
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Karabulut
authors.forename: Lale Gonenir
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Erbay
authors.forename: Ceren
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Acar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000097:blood; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000097:blood*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; C508598:IL4 protein, human; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D016328:NF-kappa B; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D015847:Interleukin-4; D009195:Peroxidase