Reduced Type-1 Immune Response in Schizophrenia

A well established finding in schizophrenia is the decreased in vitro production of IL-2 and IFN-y (Wilke et al., 1996 Muller et al., 2000), reflecting a blunted production of type-1 cytokines. Decreased levels of neopterin, a product of activated monocytes/macrophages, also point to a blunted activation of the type-1 response (Spemer-Unterweger et al., 1999). The decreased response of lymphocytes after stimulation with specific antigens reflects a reduced capacity for a type-1 immune response in schizophrenia, as well (Muller et al., 1991). Decreased levels of soluble (s)ICAM-l, as found in schizophrenia, also represent an under-activation of the type-1 immune system (Schwarz et al., 2000). Decreased levels of the soluble TNF-receptor p55— mostly decreased when TNF-a is decreased—were observed, too (Haack et al., 1999). 

A blunted response of the skin to different antigens in schizophrenia was observed before the era of antipsychotics 

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