T-cell subsets in schizophrenia: a comparison between drug-naive first episode patients and chronic schizophrenic patients

T-cell subsets (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, NK-cells) and the CD4+/CD8+ ratio were me asured in 56 schizophrenic patients admitted to hospital with an acute psyc hosis. Thirty-five patients with chronic schizophrenia and 21 drug-naive fi rst episode schizophrenic patients were compared with 16 healthy controls. T-cell subsets were quantified in the acute state of the illness (day 0), a fter 7 days of treatment and at the time of discharge. In the acute state, schizophrenic patients showed higher CD3+ and CD4+ cells (p = 0.05) and a h igher CD4/CD8 ratio (p = 0.02) than healthy controls, while NK-cells were l ower (p = 0.05). In first episode patients, all T-cell alterations normaliz ed during treatment. In the chronic group the ratio remained high, whereas the initially low number of NK-cells normalized over time. These findings, supporting immune ytem dysregulation in schizophrenia, are discussed in rel ation to psychopathology, the stage of illness and effects of medication. ( C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.