Influences on immune parameters in patients with schizophrenia

The etiology of schizophrenia is not yet known. Immune mechanism has been established as one of possible etiological factors in schizophrenia. In several studies the dysfunctions of the immune system in subgroups of patients with schizophrenia have been described. It seems that a TH1-TH2 imbalance with a shift to the TH2 response is present in a subgroup of patients with predominantly negative symptoms and poor therapeutic response to antipsychotics. The aim of our study is to establish the relationships between immunological alterations and some clinical, demographic, therapeutic and prognostic variables in patients with schizophrenia. Patients with different subtypes of schizophrenia will be studied in separate groups, determined with standarized clinical scales. Cytokine measurements will be performed with sensitive and standarized immunological methods. We will compare two different assay of cytokine measurements (flow cytometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay).