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conferenceseries
.com
Volume 4
Clinical Neuropsychology: Open Access
Neuropsychiatry 2018
August 27-28, 2018
August 27-28, 2018 Tokyo, Japan
8
th
Global Experts Meeting on
Advances in Neurology and Neuropsychiatry
Evangelos Karanikas, ClinNeuropsychol 2018, Volume 3
DOI: 10.4172/2472-095X-C1-002
Inflammatory markers in psychosis, from prodrome to chronicity: Evidence for immune activation
in both first episode psychosis and prodromal stage and differentiation between the immune profiles
of the early stages in psychosis
Evangelos Karanikas
424 General Military Hospital of Thessaloniki, Greece
T
he aim of this presentation is to report on our laboratory’s work regarding neuro-endocrine, neurotrophin and immune
parameters especially focusing on early psychosis. Thus, four study groups were involved, the Ultra High Risk for Psychosis
(UHR), First Episode Psychosis (FEP), Healthy Controls (HC) and Chronic Schizophrenia patients (CHRON). We measured
serumcytokines, Interleukin (IL)-1a, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-17A, Tumor Necrosis Factor-a (TNF-a) and
Interferon-γ (IFN-γ), as well as the neurotrophin Insulin Growth Factor (IGF)-1. We also measured serum cortisol levels at 3
time points and performed the Dexamethasone Suppression Test (DST) and psychometric evaluations. Our first study involved
the direct comparison between FEP and UHR groups. The results showed higher levels of both pro-inflammatory (TNF-a, IL-
2, IL-12 and IFN-γ) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines in the FEP group without significant alteration regarding the
HPA axis function. Subsequently, in a 2
nd
study, we implicated an additional third group (HC). The results suggest that the FEP
group presented increased both pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-a, IFN-g, TNF-b) the anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-4)
compared with HC. The UHR showed increased IL-4 against only the HC. Finally, in a third study we additionally recruited
a CHRON group. UHR group presented increased IL-4 levels compared with the rest groups. The findings favor a hypothesis
of an increased mobilization of both the pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokine networks, in full blown psychosis compared
with both normality and the pre-psychotic stage. IL-4 appears to play a significant role at prodrome. Cytokines rather than
endocrine and neurotrophin markers represent a promising field in early psychosis.
Biography
Evangelos Karanikas, is a Military Psychiatrist servicing in 424 General Military Hospital of Thessaloniki, Greece. He is the Head of the Research and Education
Department of the Psychiatric Clinic and also the Scientific Associate of 2
nd
University Psychiatric Department, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece. He was
a Research Fellow of Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Center, Australia and a Lecturer in Rural Medical School, Toowoomba, University of Queensland, Australia. His
research interests focus on neuro-endocrine and immunological mechanisms in psychosis.
epkarani@yahoo.com