Increased interleukin 23 (IL23) levels in schizophrenia patients treated with depot antipsychotic medication.

Background: Schizophrenia is a mental disorder, where genetic and environmental factors contribute to disease onset and progression. The immune system appears to play a role in schizophrenia, where altered cytokines levels and autoantibodies have been described. Notably however, to our knowledge, IL23 levels have not before been measured in schizophrenia patients treated with depot medication.

Methods: We examined IL23 levels in serum samples obtained from patients with schizophrenia, treated with depot medication (n=35) compared with healthy controls (n=38) and correlated these levels with treatment time, patient age and illness severity.

Results: IL23 levels were raised in depot treated groups compared with healthy controls. No correlation was observed, however, between IL23 levels and treatment time, patient age or illness severity.

Conclusions: IL23 levels are raised in schizophrenia patients prescribed with depot medication, supporting the role of aberrant cytokine signalling in schizophrenia.