Elevated serum chemokine CCL22 levels in first-episode psychosis: associations with symptoms, peripheral immune state and in vivo brain glial cell function.

Translational psychiatry 2020 Mar 16

filter terms:

Several lines of research support immune system dysregulation in psychotic disorders. However, it remains unclear whether the immunological marker alterations are stable and how they associate with brain glial cell function. This longitudinal study aimed at investigating whether peripheral immune functions are altered in the early phases of psychotic disorders, whether the changes are associated with core symptoms, remission, brain glial cell function, and whether they persist in a one-year follow-up. Two independent cohorts comprising in total of 129 first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients and 130 controls were assessed at baseline and at the one-year follow-up. Serum cyto-/chemokines were measured using a 38-plex Luminex assay. The FEP patients showed a marked increase in chemokine CCL22 levels both at baseline (p < 0.0001; Cohen's d = 0.70) and at the 12-month follow-up (p = 0.0007) compared to controls. The group difference remained significant (p = 0.0019) after accounting for relevant covariates including BMI, smoking, and antipsychotic medication. Elevated serum CCL22 levels were significantly associated with hallucinations (ρ = 0.20) and disorganization (ρ = 0.23), and with worse verbal performance (ρ = -0.23). Brain glial cell activity was indexed with positron emission tomography and the translocator protein radiotracer [11C]PBR28 in subgroups of 15 healthy controls and 14 FEP patients with serum CCL22/CCL17 measurements. The distribution volume (VT) of [11C]PBR28 was lower in patients compared to controls (p = 0.026; Cohen's d = 0.94) without regionally specific effects, and was inversely associated with serum CCL22 and CCL17 levels (p = 0.036). Our results do not support the over-active microglia hypothesis of psychosis, but indicate altered CCR4 immune signaling in early psychosis with behavioral correlates possibly mediated through cross-talk between chemokine networks and dysfunctional or a decreased number of glial cells.

Citation

Heikki Laurikainen, Arja Vuorela, Anna Toivonen, Linnea Reinert-Hartwall, Kalevi Trontti, Maija Lindgren, Jaakko Keinänen, Teemu Mäntylä, Janina Paju, Tuula Ilonen, Reetta-Liina Armio, Maija Walta, Jouni Tuisku, Semi Helin, Päivi Marjamäki, Iiris Hovatta, Sebastian Therman, Outi Vaarala, Outi Linnaranta, Tuula Kieseppä, Raimo K R Salokangas, Jarno Honkanen, Jarmo Hietala, Jaana Suvisaari. Elevated serum chemokine CCL22 levels in first-episode psychosis: associations with symptoms, peripheral immune state and in vivo brain glial cell function. Translational psychiatry. 2020 Mar 16;10(1):94