The effect of excess weight on circulating inflammatory cytokines in drug-naïve first-episode psychosis individuals

Background: Low-grade inflammation has been repeatedly associated with both excess weight and psychosis. However, no previous studies have addressed the direct effect of body mass index (BMI) on basal serum cytokines in individuals with first-episode psychosis (FEP). Objectives: The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of BMI on basal serum cytokine levels in FEP patients and control subjects, separating the total sample into two groups: normal-weight and overweight individuals. Methods: This is a prospective and open-label study. We selected 75 FEP patients and 75 healthy controls with similar characteristics to patients according to the following variables: sex, age, and cannabis and tobacco consumption. Both controls and patients were separated into two groups according to their BMI: subjects with a BMI under 25 were considered as normal weight and those with a BMI equal to or more than 25 were considered as overweight. Serum levels of 21 cytokines/chemokines were measured at baseline using the Human High Sensitivity T Cell Magnetic Bead Panel protocol from the Milliplex® Map Kit. We compared the basal serum levels of the 21 cytokines between control and patient groups according to their BMI. Results: In the normal-weight group, IL-8 was the only cytokine that was higher in patients than in the control group (p = 0.001), whereas in the overweight group, serum levels of two pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, p = 0.000; IL-1?, p = 0.003), two chemokines (IL-8, p = 0.001; MIP-1?, p = 0.001), four Th-1 and Th-2 cytokines (IL-13, p = 0.009; IL-2, p = 0.001; IL-7, p = 0.001; IL-12p70, p = 0.010), and one Type-3 cytokine (IL-23, p = 0.010) were higher in patients than in controls. Conclusions: Most differences in the basal serum cytokine levels between patients and healthy volunteers were found in the overweight group. These findings suggest that excess weight can alter the homeostasis of the immune system and therefore may have an additive pro-inflammatory effect on the one produced by psychosis in the central nervous system.Funding: The present study was carried out at the Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain, under the following grant support from MINECO SAF2013-46292-R, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, and Fundación Marqués de Valdecilla. No pharmaceutical company has participated in the study concept and design, data collection, analysis and interpretation of the results, and drafting of the manuscript. We thank the Valdecilla Biobank for blood sampling handling and storage. We also wish to thank the participants and their families for enrolling in this study. The study, designed and directed by B C-F, conformed to international standards for research ethics and was approved by the local institutional review board

Changes in the cytokine profile in first episode, drug-naïve patients with psychosis after short-term antipsychotic treatment

IntroductionAn increasing body of evidence suggests that antipsychotic medication can cause immunological changes that could be attributed to the amelioration of psychotic symptoms or the metabolic side effects of the drugs. So far, the results of the studies remain controversial.ObjectiveOur aim was to compare the levels of interleukin (IL) IL-2, IL-6 and transforming growth factor-β2 (TGF-β2) in drug-naïve, first-episode patients with psychosis before and after six weeks of antipsychotic medication.MethodsThirty-nine first episode patients with psychosis were enrolled in the study. Serum levels of IL-2, IL-6 and TGF-β2 were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) before and six weeks after the initiation of antipsychotic medication. In addition, clinical psychopathology was assessed using Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) before and after treatment.ResultsSerum levels of IL-2 were significantly higher in the study group six weeks after the initiation of antipsychotic treatment (P &lt; 0.001) while TGF-β2 levels were decreased (P &lt; 0.001) and IL-6 levels were slightly reduced (P &lt; 0.004).ConclusionThe changes in cytokine levels may be attributed to the action of antipsychotic medication and the remission of psychopathology. The reduction in TGF-β2 levels is observed in all patients and with all antipsychotic medications used. TGF-β2 may be a marker of clinical efficacy.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.</jats:sec

Use of Memantine in Organic Personality Disorder: A Case Study

This is a case study of a 27-year-old man with co-morbid congenital communicating hydrocephalus and epilepsy. The patient had multiple hospitalizations in psychiatric clinics due to serious domestic violence caused by compulsive buying demands. Impaired social interaction skills, diminished judgment, planning, insight and temporal organization difficulties were also present and the diagnosis of organic personality disorder was given.The patient was treated with 1.5 g valproc acid for epilepsy and for the behavioural difficulties multiple antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, SSRI's and beta-blockers were administrated, without major benefits. Due to serious aggression and impulsive behaviour, it was administrated memantine 20 mg/day according to NMDA receptor antagonist hypothesis and gradually reduced the benzodiazepines and SSRI's.A significant decrease in the average score of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and to violence incidences was observed. Also, social interaction skills were improved and a slight improvement at patient's judgment was observed.The patient had good tolerance during the treatment and no side effect was reported. It is the first scientific report on memantine effectiveness in this patient group. Further research is needed.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.</jats:sec

Epidemiology of panic disorder and subthreshold panic symptoms in the Greek general population

Panic disorder (PD) is a common anxiety disorder with severe social and health consequences in the lives of individuals who suffer from it. General population studies that attempt to measure the prevalence of this disorder across the world suggest that a 1.7% to 4.7 % of adults and adolescents suffer from Panic Disorder. In Greece, research analyzing the abovementioned matters is limited, and previous studies were put forward in small samples. The aim of the present study was to describe the prevalence and sociodemographic associations of panic disorder (PD) and related subthreshold panic symptoms in the general population of Greece and to appraise the comorbidity, use of services and impact on quality of life of these syndromes. This was a secondary analysis of the 2009-2010 psychiatric morbidity survey carried out in a representative sample of the Greek general population (4894 participants living in private households, 18-70 years, response rate 54%). Psychiatric disorders were assessed with the computerized version of the revised Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS-R). Quality of life was assessed with the EuroQoL EQ-5D generic instrument. The utilization of health services was examined by making relevant questions. Finally, direct questions were used to assess sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors According to our findings, 1.87% of the participants (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.50-2.26%) met criteria for PD and 1.61% met criteria for subclinical PD (95% CI: 1.26-1.96%). There was a clear female preponderance for both PD (p=0.001) and Sub-PD (p=0.01). In addition, 3.48% of the participants reported having experienced panic attacks during the past week (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.98-4.01%). PD or subclinical PD was independently associated with a limited number of sociodemographic and socioeconomic variables especially after the adjusted analysis. Both panic related conditions involved significant reductions in quality of life and elevated utilization of health services for both medical and psychological reasons in comparison to healthy participants. In conclusion, PD and subclinical panic symptoms were common in the general Greek population with substantial comorbidity and impaired quality of life. The observed use of the general and psychological health services among adults with panic symptoms and its temporal and economic consequences calls for more efficient diagnostic and treatment policies

Familial bipolar disorder and multiple sclerosis: A three-generation HLA family study

The coexistence of bipolar disorder (BD) and multiple sclerosis (MS) is well known. Manic symptoms may represent initial symptoms of MS, at least in some cases, and follow the MS-HLA phenotype frequencies. The purpose of this study was to examine the possible relation of BD and MS based on an HLA family study of a woman with BD and comorbid MS, with family history of BD. Five members of the family from three generations (the patient, her mother, her brother, and her two daughters) were examined regarding the two disorders and the HLA class I and II specificities, performed by serology and molecular techniques. Her deceased father, her brother, and her older daughter suffered from BD. Moreover, in her brother, BD and MS comorbidity was diagnosed. The three affected members and the nonaffected grandmother share the same class I and II, HLA-A2, B18, CW8, DR2, DQ1 haplotype. The shared class II, HLA-DR2, DQ1 haplotype among affected individuals, which is well known to be associated with MS in Caucasians, suggests a possible susceptibility locus for BD, mapped on chromosome 6, very close to the HLA region, underlying the clinical comorbidity of the two disorders. © 2003 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved