Citation

Steiner J, Gos T, Handerer I, Bernstein HG, Bogerts B. Nervenheilkd. 2014; 33(11): 790-796.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Georg Thieme Verlag)

DOI

10.1055/s-0038-1627742

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Immune alterations have been described in patients suffering from schizophrenia or affective disorders. These include an increased numerical density of microglial cells in certain brain areas, slightly elevated monocyte counts and increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the peripheral blood. Interestingly, similar immune alterations have been observed in suicide patients regardless of their underlying psychiatric diagnosis. This review summarizes relevant data from previous studies that have examined peripheral blood, cerebrospinal fluid and human brains (postmortem histology and in vivo positron emission tomography) to evaluate the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS) in these psychiatrically ill patients. We discuss if the findings indicating MPS activation are rather associated with disease acuity/severity or with a distinct neurobiology of suicide. It is important to keep in mind that pathophysiological mechanisms could change during the long-Term course of psychiatric diseases. Thus, different immune mechanisms may be involved in the pathophysiology of newly diseased patients compared to those with chronic disease stages. © 2014 Georg Thieme Verlag. All rights reserved.

Language: de

Keywords

human; suicide; Suicide; suicidality; depression; schizophrenia; pathophysiology; mental patient; positron emission tomography; immune system; cerebrospinal fluid analysis; blood analysis; Article; microglia; cell activation; brain histology; lymphocytes; monocytes; mononuclear phagocyte; mononuclear phagocyte system; staging