Abstract

Background: Schizophrenia is a severe and chronic neuropsychiatric disorder with a lifetime prevalence of about one percent throughout the world. Supporting neuro developmental models, many biological environmental factors are consistently shown to be involved in Schizophrenia development. Relationship of NRG1 and cognition is important to providing a theoretical mechanism to explain NRG1’s potential role in Schizophrenia, it is thought to be associated with disruption of the cytokine milieu and the propensity for the production of proinflammatory cytokines.

Aim: The present study was carried out to investigate the association of selected pro-inflammatory markers (interleukin 6 and 10), and neuregulin 1 in the serum of selected sample of Iraqi patients with schizophrenia.

Methods: Blood samples were collected from participants and were immediately spun and frozen at −20°C. Inflammatory markers were assayed. Serum interleukin10 and 6 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, using Human IL10 &6 ELISA kit with its Components and remarks   (KOMABIO-TECH- INC. Korea). And serum NRG1 were assayed using Human Neuregulin 1 ELISA kit with its Components and Remarks (Bioassay Technology laboratory China).

Result: No important or statistically significant differences in mean age was observed between the 3 study groups. In addition males were more frequent than females in the 3 study groups. Again no statistically significant differences in gender. Significant positive differences that favors cases as compared to both control groups were observed for serum NRG1 and serum IL6, P value= <0.001. IL10 on the other hand showed only a marginal and statistically insignificant increase in cases with schizophrenia when compared to both control groups P value= 0.74.

Conclusion: Schizophrenia is associated with higher serum IL6 and Neuregulin 1 but not IL10 level, than general population

Keywords: Schizophrenia, IL6, IL10, Neuregulin 1.

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