SERUM LEVELS OF INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS IN SCHIZOAFFECTIVE DISORDERS

GULCIN ELBOGA¹, SENGUL KOCAMER SAHIN², AHMET ZIYA SAHIN³, ABDURAHMAN ALTINDAG⁴

¹Gaziantep University Medical Faculty, Department of Psychiatry, Gaziantep, Turkey - ²Adana State Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Adana, Turkey - ³Adana Askım Tufekci State Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, Adana, Turkey - ⁴Gaziantep University Medical Faculty, Department of Psychiatry, Gaziantep, Turkey

Introduction: A growing body of evidence suggests that inflammatory markers elevate in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association between schizoaffective disorder and serum levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, TNF- α, hs-CRP, including the comparison between the affective episodes of the disease.

Materials and methods: The study group consisted of 40 patients with bipolar type schizoaffective disorder as defined by DSM-IV criteria and 39 healthy control subjects. IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, TNF- α and hsCRP serum levels were examined by ELISA. Their clinical symptoms were rated using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Young Mania Rating Scale. Univariate analysis of covariance controlled for possible confounders was used to compare cytokines and hsCRP levels among the groups.

Results: hsCRP levels were significantly higher in patients compared to controls and IL-4 levels were significantly lower in patients compared to controls. hsCRP levels were significantly higher during the depressive phase, and IL-4 levels were signifi- cantly lower during the manic phase in patients compared to controls. No statistically significant differences were found in IL-2, IL-6, TNF- α.

Conclusion: The results suggest that inflammatory dysregulation is associated with the schizoaffective disorder, and these changes may be related to affective phases of the bipolar type schizoaffective disorder.