Active psychosis and pro-inflammatory cytokines in first-episode of psychosis. (February 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pardo-de-Santayana, Guillermo; Juncal-Ruiz, María; Vázquez-Bourgon, Javier; Riesco-Dávila, Laura; Ortiz-Garcia de la Foz, Victor; Pelayo-Terán, José María; López-Hoyos, Marcos; Crespo-Facorro, Benedicto
• Is Part Of: Journal of psychiatric research. Volume 134(2021)
• Page Start: 150
• Page End: 157
• Publication Date: 2021-02
• Subjects: Schizophrenia -- Psychosis -- Low-grade inflammation -- Cytokines -- Chemokines -- Neurotoxicity hypothesis; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Mental Disorders -- Periodicals; Maladies mentales -- Périodiques; Psychiatry; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 616.89005
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.12.060
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-3956

Abstract

Abstract: Higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines are consistently found in the serum of first episode psychosis (FEP) patients and this immune dysfunction could contribute to neural harm. On the other hand, lengthy periods of active psychosis during the early phases of the illness appear to be associated to worst functional outcome. We aim to explore the possible relationship between lengthy periods of active psychosis during early phases of the illness and the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This is a prospective clinical study consisting of a 3-year clinical follow-up. We assessed the relation between the duration of active psychosis in patients with FEP and the serum levels of 21 cytokines at baseline and 3 months after initiating antipsychotic medication. We used the Human High Sensitivity T Cell Magnetic Bead Panel protocol from the Milliplex® Map Kit. The sample consisted of 59 patients with a FEP. The percentage of variation of the serum levels of the chemokine MIP-3α during the first 3 months of antipsychotic treatment and the score in negative psychotic symptoms 3 months after the initiation of antipsychotic medication, acted as predictors of the initial time to remission of positive psychotic symptoms. Our findings open the possibility to investigating the potential use of the variation in chemokine MIP-3α serum levels during the first months of antipsychotic treatment to identify a subtype of FEP patients that could benefit from an add-on treatment with immune modulators. Clinicaltrials.gov id: NCT02897167. Date of first registration: September 13, 2016. "Study of the Activation of Proinflammatory Pathways of Toll-like Receptors in Schizophrenia Patients (PAFIP_TLR)". https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02897167 . Highlights: The variation in chemokine MIP-3α serum levels predicted the time to remission in patients with a first episode of psychosis. The score in negative psychotic symptoms also predicted the time to remission in patients with a first episode of psychosis. MIP-3α levels could identify a subtype of psychotic patients that could benefit from an add-on immune modulating treatment.