Neuroleptics normalize increased release of interleukin-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha from monocytes in schizophrenia

Some recent reports show that schizophrenia is accompanied by changes in ly mphocyte activity. This study investigated the activity of monocytes by det ermining their release of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Monocytes were immunomagnetically isolated from the peripheral blood of schizophrenic patients before and after neuroleptic medication and stimulated by lipopolisaccharide (LPS) in vitro. The monocy tes of schizophrenic patients released significantly higher amounts of IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha than those of healthy controls. Treatment with the typi cal neuroleptics haloperidol and perazine decreased the release of IL-1 bet a and TNF-alpha to the control levels. The study has shown that the activit y of monocytes is increased in schizophrenia and that neuroleptic treatment normalizes this activity. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserv ed.