Plasma cytokine response to surgical stress in schizophrenic patients

• Published in: Clinical and experimental immunology Vol. 125; no. 1; pp. 89 - 93
• Main Authors: Kudoh, A., Sakai, T., Ishihara, H., Matsuki, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01.07.2001; Blackwell; Oxford University Press; Blackwell Science Inc
• Subjects: abdominal surgery; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; C-Reactive Protein - analysis; Case-Control Studies; Female; Human Immunology; Humans; Hydrocortisone - blood; Interleukin-6 - blood; Interleukin-8 - blood; interleukin‐6; interleukin‐8; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychoses; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - blood; Schizophrenia - immunology; Schizophrenic Psychology; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - immunology; Stress, Physiological - etiology; Surgical Procedures, Operative - psychology; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - analysis; tumour necrosis factor‐α; Human; Steroid hormone; Secretion; Cytokine; Neuroendocrine regulation; Schizophrenia; Hydrocortisone; Glucocorticoid; Immunity; Stress; Blood plasma; Psychosis; Interleukin 6; Immunological investigation; Surgery; Adrenal hormone; Interleukin 8
• ISSN: 0009-9104; 1365-2249
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2249.2001.01581.x

Schizophrenic patients are reported to have immunological dysfunction, however, the immune response to surgery in schizophrenic patients remains unclear. We measured plasma interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) and tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) before, during and after colectomy, hemicolectomy and sigmoidectomy in 25 chronic schizophrenic patients (Group S) and 25 control patients (Group C) using ELISA assays. We could find no significant difference in the baseline plasma concentrations of IL‐6, IL‐8 and TNF‐α between Group S and Group C. Plasma IL‐6 concentrations (32·1 (30·3) and 15·8 (9·6) pg/ml) in Group S at the end of the operation and 24 h after surgery were significantly lower than 76·9 (37·1) and 35·1 (21·5) pg/ml of Group C. Plasma IL‐8 concentration (6·1 (2·8)) in Group S at the end of the operation was significantly lower than 8·7 (4·2) pg/ml of Group C. There were no significant changes in plasma TNF‐α concentration throughout the study period in either group. Plasma cortisol concentrations of schizophrenic patients during surgery were significantly lower than those of control patients. The plasma IL‐6 concentrations correlated with plasma cortisol concentrations in either group. We conclude that proinflammatory cytokine response to abdominal surgery is inhibited in schizophrenic patients.