| Objectives: To investigate the changes of T cell subsets, immuno- globulin and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) of serum and their implications in schizophrenia.Methods: In 41 schizophrenic patients T cell subsets were examined by APAAP, immunoglobulin by single immunodiffusion and TNF-α by ELISA.Results: CD3+ T cell, CD4+ T cell and CD4+/CD8+ rates in all schizophrenic patients were lower than that in healthy volunteers respectively (p<0.0001) (p<0.0001) (p=0.0065). CD8+ T cell showed no significant changes in schizophrenic patients (p=0.2865). IgM, IgA (p=0.4379, p=0.7474) and TNF-α (p=0.1109) showed no differences but IgG was significantly higher (p=0.01) between schizophrenic patients and controls. Among the patients 8 were never received neuroleptics and their immune indices had no differences with the chronic group (p>0.05), both groups were lower than controls in CD3+ T cell (p<0.05), CD4+ T cell (p<0.05) and CD4+/CD8+ T cell rates (p<0.05). 41 patients were assigned to three groups according to their duration. Group 1 were less than 1 year, group 2 from 1 to 5 years and group 3 more than 5 years. group 3 was lower than group 1 and group 2 in CD3+ cell (p<0.05) and CD4+ T cell (p<0.05). All these three groups were lower than controls (p<0.05). CD3+T cell, CD4+T cell, and CD4+/CD8+T cell rates inpatients with positive family history were lower than that in those with negative family history (p=0.0001, p=0.0005, p=0.0286). Both groups were lower than controls in CD3+T cell, CD4+T cell. In addition, there were significant negative correlation between CD3+T cell and SAPS (r=-0.34215, p=0.0285); No correlation were found in other indices with SAPA and SANS (p>0.05).Conclusions: There are decreases of immune function in schizophrenic patients. The degree of these decreases was influenced by family history and the immunity had a trend of reduce according to the length of duration. The positive symptom of patients has negative correlation with their immunity. |
PDF Full Text Request