HUMORAL IMMUNE-RESPONSE IN SCHIZOPHRENIC-PATIENTS - EFFECTS OF RISPERIDONE

In a group of schizophrenic patients the following parameters were inv estigated: IgG, A, M. E. transferrin, alpha-1-antitrypsin, alpha-2-mac roglobulin, complement activity of both the classical and alternative pathway, C3 and C4 components of complement, anti- CMV antibodies, ant i-deoxyribonucleoprotein antibodies and circulating immune complexes. Spontaneous and PWM-induced IgG and IgM synthesis was also examined. A n increase of serum IgG (18.2 g/l) was found in patients and unstimula ted production of IgG was significantly increased compared with normal control range (p<0.001). We observed higher unstimulated production o f IgG compared with PWM stimulated production of IgG but not of IgM. O ther parameters were not changed. After 6-week risperidone therapy the re were significantly decreased IgG levels in the serum of schizophren ic patients (p < 0.025). Spontaneous production remained increased com pared with PWM stimulated production it was. however, lower than befor e the therapy. After 24 weeks the levels of serum IgG and IgM were sig nificantly reduced (p < 0.025). After long-term therapy the ratio betw een unstimulated and PWM stimulated production of IgG was normalized a nd the total amount of IgG produced was significantly lower (p<0.01) t han that before the therapy. We conclude that schizophrenia is a disea se with some immunological abnormalities and that long-term risperidon e therapy has not an immunotoxic effect,.