FUNCTIONAL-ACTIVITY OF LYMPHOCYTES SUBPOP ULATIONS IN SCHIZOPHRENIC AND SCHIZOAFFECTIVE PATIENTS

The functional activity of natural killer (NK) and of T-helper (TH) ly mphocytes was examined both in 19 patients with schizophrenia and in 6 patients with schizoaffective psychosis as well as in 93 control Indi viduals. The patients were examined both before the treatment and two months after It. The cytotoxic level of NK lymphocytes was considerabl y decreased In all the patients before the treatment. The TH activity was decreased in 8 of 17 schizophrenic patients and in 1 of 4 schizoaf fective patients observed during the acute period. The increase of cyt otoxic NK activity was seen in patients with schizoaffective psychosis after the treatment while such alterations in schizophrenic patients were absent. The TH activity changed neither in schizophrenic nor in s chizoaffective patients after the treatment.