전기경련치료가 정신분열증 환자의 면역기능에 미치는 영향

The Effect of Electroconvulsive Therapy on Immunological Functions in Schizophrenics

In order to elucidate the effects of multiple electroconvulsive therapy(ECT) on immunological functions in schizophrenic patients, the author measured T-cell subpopulations, contents of serum immunoglobulins, and hormonal changes before and after 10 sessions of ECT. Subjects were classified into the positive and the negative groups by Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS) and into the improved and the not-improved groups according to the change of total scores of PANSS. The results were as follows ； 1) All of the schizophrenic, positive, and negative groups showed decreased CD8+ cell % and increased CD4+/C D 8+ ratio after 10 sessions of ECT. 2) Before ECT, IgD level in the improved group was significantly higher than that in the not-improved group, while the numbers of lymphocyte, T-cell and CD8+ cell in the improved group were significantly lower than those in the not-improved group. Above results suggest that multiple ECT could increase cellular immune functions in the schizophrenic patients, and IgD level and the numbers of lymphocyte, T-cell and CD8+ cell might be therapeutic predictors of multiple ECT.