Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment (Mar 2023)
Impact of Childhood Adversity, as Early Life Distress, on Cytokine Alterations in Schizophrenia
Abstract
Cedo Miljevic,1,2 Ana Munjiza-Jovanovic,1,3 Teodora Jovanovic4 1Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia; 2Clinical Trial Unit, Institute of Mental Health, Belgrade, Serbia; 3Day Hospital for Adolescents, Institute of Mental Health, Belgrade, Serbia; 4Department for Psychotic Disorders, Institute of Mental Health, Belgrade, SerbiaCorrespondence: Cedo Miljevic, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Milana Kasanina 3, Belgrade, 11 000, Serbia, Tel +381 11 3307500, Fax +381 33 40 629, Email [email protected]: Even though inflammation theory has been introduced in the pathophysiology of psychosis almost a century ago, many of its aspects have remained unelucidated. Numerous studies have shown cytokine dysregulation in schizophrenia and a predominance of pro-inflammatory cytokines, but on another side, various cytokines in a pro-inflammatory group have different trends in all subtypes of schizophrenia. Alterations are also present in anti-inflammatory and regulatory cytokines, but findings are still not consistent. On the other hand, it is well known that abuse and neglect in childhood may be predictors of psychotic disorders, and childhood adversity is also associated with alterations of the immune and inflammatory response (through various mechanisms including HPA dysregulation as well). This review aims to analyze conducted studies and elucidate the link between childhood abuse, schizophrenia, and cytokine alterations. Putting together this complex psycho-immunological puzzle for the subgroup of schizophrenia-diagnosed patients with distinct immunological abnormalities and a history of childhood abuse can help us to answer the question about the future treatment of these patients.Keywords: childhood neglect, childhood abuse, cytokines, schizophrenia
