Clinically relevant and simple immune system measure is related to symptom burden in bipolar disorder.

Objective: Immunological theories, particularly the sickness syndrome theory, may explain psychopathology in mood disorders. However, no clinical trials have investigated the association between overall immune system markers with a wide range of specific symptoms including potential gender differences.

Methods: We included two similar clinical trials, the lithium treatment moderate-dose use study and clinical and health outcomes initiatives in comparative effectiveness for bipolar disorder study, enrolling 765 participants with bipolar disorder.

Antidepressant treatment-emergent affective switch in bipolar disorder: a prospective case-control study of outcome.

Objective: Treatment-emergent affective switch has been associated to cycle acceleration and poorer outcome, but there are few studies addressing this issue. The aim of this study was to prospectively compare the outcome of patients presenting treatment-emergent affective switch with patients with spontaneous mania, regarding presence and polarity of a new episode and time to relapse.

Method: Twenty-four patients with bipolar disorder according to the DSM-IV were followed for 12 months.