Interleukin-17 and Interleukin-10 Association with Disease Progression in Schizophrenia

Abstract

Background: Alteration in cytokine levels are known to be involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Objectives: To estimate the serum levels of interleukin-17 (IL-17) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) and their association with disease progression in schizophrenia. Methods: A total of 67 schizophrenia cases were enrolled in the present study. IL-17 and IL-10 were estimated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to evaluate disease severity. Results: IL-17 was positively correlated with positive symptom score (r = 0.256, p =.036), general psychopathology score (r = 0.255, p =.038) and total score (r = 0.273, p =.025) in schizophrenia. IL-17 and IL-10 were significantly increased in schizophrenia cases with PANSS more than 85 compared to those with 71–85. Conclusion: IL-17 and IL-10 are associated with disease severity in schizophrenia but are not good markers for predicting the disease progression.