정신분열증과 주요우울장애에서 혈청 면역글로부린과 총용혈보체활성도의 변화

Changes of the Serum Immunoglobulin Level and Total Hemolytic Complement Activity in Schizophrenia and Major Depressive Disorder

We attempted to identify the difference of the immune function in schizophrenia and major depressive disorder and to compare its relationship with several variables such as symptom severity, diagnostic subtype, and number of admission by measuring the serum immunoglobulin and total hemolytic complement activity. Fifteen schizophrenics and 15 major depressive disorder patients were studied and 16 healthy young adults were recruited as control. Schizophrenics and major depressive disorder patients had undergone a two week drug-free period before the study. There was no statistical difference of age and sex between patients and control subjects. The results of this study were as follows : 1) Humoral immune parameters of schizophrenia and major depressive disorder patients group were not different from those of normal control group. The trend for increased Ig A, M and decreased Ig G was found in both patient groups, while the trend for decreased CH50 in schizophrenics and increased CH50 in major depressive disorder patients was found. 2) Firsty-admitted depressed patients showed significantly increased IgA compared to the control group, while firstly-admitted schizophrenics showed significantly increased Ig A and Ig M concentration compared to the control group. 3) The depressed patients, whose symptoms were less severe in HDRS score, showed significantly increased Ig A compared to the control group. On the other hand, positive schizophrenics showed significantly increased Ig M compared to the control group. In conclusion, these findings suggest changes of humoral immunity in the major mental illnesses are epiphenomenon induced by stress or secondary reaction dependent upon the disease process. Since many factors are involved in the changes of immune function induced by stress, further integrated research for relationship of stress, human behavior, immune system and neurocndocrine system will be needed. Also more specific parameters of immune function for the homogeneous patients group will be required to assess some identified changes of the immune system in major mental illnesses