Author:
Wang Yu,Wang Guangfa,Gong Muxin,Yang Yujing,Ling Yuru,Fang Xinyu,Zhu Tingting,Wang Zixu,Zhang Xiangrong,Zhang Caiyi
Abstract
AbstractImmune inflammation has long been implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Despite as a rapid and effective physical therapy, the role of immune inflammation in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for schizophrenia remains elusive. The neutrophils to lymphocytes (NLR), platelets to monocytes (PLR) and monocytes to lymphocytes (MLR) are inexpensive and accessible biomarkers of systemic inflammation. In this study, 70 schizophrenia patients and 70 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were recruited. The systemic inflammatory biomarkers were measured before and after ECT. Our results indicated schizophrenia had significantly higher peripheral NLR, PLR and MLR compared to health controls at baseline, while lymphocytes did not differ. After 6 ECT, the psychiatric symptoms were significantly improved, as demonstrated by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). However, there was a decline in cognitive function scores, as indicated by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Notably, the neutrophils and NLR were significantly reduced following ECT. Although lymphocytes remained unchanged following ECT, responders had significantly higher lymphocytes compared to non-responders. Moreover, the linear regression analyses revealed that higher lymphocytes served as a predictor of larger improvement in positive symptom following ECT. Overall, our findings further highlighted the presence of systemic inflammation in schizophrenia patients, and that ECT may exert a therapeutic effect in part by attenuating systemic inflammation. Further research may therefore lead to new treatment strategies for schizophrenia targeting the immune system.
Funder
the National Natural Science Foundation of China
Social Development Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China
the Key Project supported by Medical Science and Technology Development Foundation, Nanjing Department of Health
the Science and Technology Development Program of Nanjing Medical University
the National NaturalScience Foundation of China
Nanjing Major Science and Technology Project
Medical Science and Technology Innovation Project of Xu’zhou Health Commission for Young Scholars
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Psychiatry and Mental health