title: Suicide attempts and markers of immune response in individuals with serious mental illness.
abstract: Previous studies have identified elevations in antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in individuals with a history of suicide attempts but studies have not measured the association between suicide attempts and a panel of antibody markers. We assessed 162 patients receiving treatment for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression on the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale for suicide attempt history and other clinical measures. All participants had a blood sample drawn from which were measured antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii and other neurotropic infectious agents. A total of 72 (44%) of participants had a lifetime suicide attempt; these individuals had elevated levels of IgM class antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii and Cytomegalovirus (CMV). We also found an association between the levels of these antibodies and the number of suicide attempts. There was a particularly strong odds of a suicide attempt history in individuals who had elevated levels of IgM antibodies to both Toxoplasma gondii and to CMV suggesting an additive risk associated with the antibodies. These findings remained significant when adjusting for current cigarette smoking and history of drug/alcohol use which were also associated with suicide attempts. We did not find an association between a suicide attempt history and IgG class antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii, CMV, or IgM or IgG antibodies to the Epstein Barr Virus or other antigens tested. The identification of blood-based antibody markers should provide for more personalized methods for the assessment and treatment, and ultimately prevention, of suicide attempts in individuals with serious mental illnesses.
authors.affiliation: Stanley Research Program, Sheppard Pratt Health System, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: fdickerson@sheppardpratt.org.
authors.forename: Faith
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dickerson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Holly C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Wilcox
authors.affiliation: Stanley Research Program, Sheppard Pratt Health System, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adamos
authors.affiliation: Stanley Research Program, Sheppard Pratt Health System, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Katsafanas
authors.affiliation: Stanley Research Program, Sheppard Pratt Health System, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Sunil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khushalani
authors.affiliation: Stanley Research Program, Sheppard Pratt Health System, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Origoni
authors.affiliation: Stanley Research Program, Sheppard Pratt Health System, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Savage
authors.affiliation: Stanley Research Program, Sheppard Pratt Health System, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schweinfurth
authors.affiliation: Stanley Research Program, Sheppard Pratt Health System, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Cassie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stallings
authors.affiliation: Stanley Research Program, Sheppard Pratt Health System, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sweeney
authors.affiliation: Stanley Neurovirology Laboratory, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yolken
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000276:immunology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000914:Antibodies, Viral
keywords: Attempted; Biomarkers; Cytomegalovirus; Suicide; Toxoplasma