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. 2016 May 20:16:152.
doi: 10.1186/s12888-016-0866-x.

The value of interleukin 6 as a peripheral diagnostic marker in schizophrenia

Kayla A Chase  1   2 , Jackson J Cone  3 , Cherise Rosen  1 , Rajiv P Sharma  4   5
Affiliations

The value of interleukin 6 as a peripheral diagnostic marker in schizophrenia

Kayla A Chase et al. BMC Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Background: Associations between a pro-inflammatory state and schizophrenia have been one of the more enduring findings of psychiatry, with various lines of evidence suggesting a compelling role for IL-6 in the underlying pathogenesis of schizophrenia.

Methods: In this study, we examined IL-6 mRNA levels by real-time RT-PCR from fresh extracted peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in normal controls and participants with schizophrenia.

Results: We found that peripheral PBMC IL-6 mRNA levels, in the absence of any other information, reliably discriminated between a diagnosis of schizophrenia and normal controls. Furthermore, in participants with schizophrenia, we also found elevated levels of IL-6 mRNA with earlier ages of illness onset and worse positive symptom presentation, as measured by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale.

Conclusions: These findings provide important and continued support for a pathophysiological role of inflammation in patients with schizophrenia. Future utilization of peripheral IL-6 mRNA levels could be clinically useful during an initial diagnosis and help tailor individualized treatment plans for patients with schizophrenia.

Keywords: Biomarker; Interleukin-6; Lymphocyte; PBMC; Schizophrenia.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
IL-6 mRNA levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). IL-6 mRNA levels were significantly increased in participants with schizophrenia when compared to normal controls. Data presented as mean and SEM, p < 0.05
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Clinical correlates with IL-6 mRNA levels (a) IL-6 mRNA levels were increased in participants with an earlier age of illness onset. b IL-6 mRNA levels were higher in participants with increased positive symptom presentation, as measured by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Spearman rho values, sample size and significance levels are all listed on individual graphs
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Distributions of IL-6 mRNA levels between controls and participants with schizophrenia. The two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test is significant (p < 0.001), demonstrating that the two diagnostic groups originate from different distributions
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
A receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis of the diagnostic value of IL-6 mRNA from primary blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). An area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.76 indicates the predictive capability of IL-6 mRNA levels for a diagnosis of schizophrenia in our sample
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