MethodsResearch methods included follow-up method, neuropsychological (PANSS, BAC-S), laboratory (enzyme immunoassay, flow cytometry), and statistical.
ResultsPatients with schizophrenia had significant structural disorders of thinking, passive, apathetic withdrawal, negativism, impaired attention, psychomotor speed, volitional impulses. Cognitive impairment was detected in all study participants. Severe impairments are noted in the executive functioning, hand-eye coordination, attention, psychomotor speed. The severity of cognitive impairments correlated with the severity of clinical symptoms. Patients with schizophrenia had a significant decrease in central memory T-regulators levels, and an increase in Th1 and Th2 subsets, «double-positive» and «сlassic» Th17, Tfh2, «classic» Tfh17, and in Tfh17.1 (Pic.1).
Picture. 1. T-helper subsets in patients with schizophrenia. They also had high levels of CCL20, IL-10, IL-12, IL-1β, IL-27, IL-31, IL-4, IL-13, IL-6, IL-9, TNFα in comparison with a control group. A significantly decreased levels of IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-2, IL-22, and TNFβ were also described in this group of patients.
ConclusionsPatients with schizophrenia may be characterized by the presence of an inflammatory process and a high chance of autoimmunity. Aknowledgement. This work was supported by the grant of the Russian Federation Government, contract 14.W03.31.0009