Serum Interleukin-6 in Schizophrenia: Associations with Clinical and Sociodemographic Characteristics

BACKGROUND:Recentlyasignificant part of schizophrenia studies have been focused on the role of cytokines, especially interleukin-6 (IL-6). Some authors have suggestedapathogenetic role for IL-6 in schizophrenia and concluded that therapy that centers on suppressing IL-6 activity may prove beneficial for certain categories of patients with the disorder. However, many questions about whether the changes in IL-6 levels in schizophrenia are primary, related to symptoms or caused by therapy, are concomitant metabolic disorders, are related to smoking or other secondary factors remain unanswered. AIM:To assess the level of serum IL-6 in patients with schizophrenia in comparison with healthy controls, as well as to study its association with clinical and socio-demographic characteristics. METHODS:Some 125 patients with schizophrenia and 95 healthy volunteers were examined.Theevaluation of IL-6 was performed by enzyme immunoassay. All patients were assessed using standardized psychometric instruments. Information from patient medical records on the course of the disease and treatment wasanalyzed. RESULTS:Thelevel of IL-6 was significantly higher in the patients than in the healthy volunteers (z=2.58;p=0.0099), but among men the difference between the patients and volunteers was not significant. Statistically significant correlations were found between the level of serum IL-6 and the severity of the cognitive impairment of patients: (auditory [ρ=–0.31;p=0.00063] and working memory [ρ=−0.25;p=0.0065], hand-eye coordination [ρ=−0.29;p=0.0011], verbal fluency [ρ=−0.28;p=0.0019] and problem-solving capacity [ρ=−0.22;p=0.013]), total severity of schizophrenia symptoms (PANSS, ρ=0.22;p=0.016), PANSS positive subscale (ρ=0.18;p=0.048), and the age of manifestation (ρ=0.20;p=0.025) and disease duration (ρ=0.18;p=0.043).Thelevel of IL-6 was the lowest in patients treated with third-generation antipsychotics, and the highest in those treated withfirst-generation antipsychotics (H=6.36;p=0.042). Moreover, in hospital patients, the level of IL-6 was significantly higher than in outpatients and inpatients hospitals (H=18.59;p=0.0001). CONCLUSION:Thestudy confirmed that there are associations between the serum IL-6 level and schizophrenia, the age of the patient, duration of the disease and how late in one's life cycle it began manifesting itself, as well asanumber of clinical characteristics. Considering that IL-6isassociated withawide range of symptoms that are loosely controlled by antipsychotics, this biochemical marker needs to be studied to look into how closely its level tracks with an unfavorable course of schizophrenia. That would require further prospective studies

The use of immobilized form of benzalkonium chloride and metronidazole in the treatment of purulent wounds

The purpose of the study is to investigate the wound-healing effect of the immobilized form of benzalkonium chloride and metronidazole based on the sodium salt of carboxymethylcellulose (Na-CMC) or polyethylene oxide (PEO) in the treatment of an experimental purulent wound.Materials and methods. The following compositions were studied, %. Combination 1: benzalkonium chloride – 0.02; Metronidazole – 1,0; Sodium carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC) – 4,0; Purified water – up to 100,0. Combination 2: benzalkonium chloride – 0,02; Metronidazole – 1,0; Polyethylene oxide, m. 400 – 80.0; Polyethylene oxide, m. 1500 – 20,0. The experiment was performed on 180 male Wistar rats, which were divided into three statistically homogeneous groups of 60 animals in each, a purulent wound was modeled in all experimental rats using the method of P.I. Tolstykh. In the control group local treatment of the wound was performed with the help of “Levomekol” ointment, in two experimental groups, the combination was treated with 1 and 2.The course evaluation of the wound process was carried out using planimetric, microbiological and histological methods of investigation. The data were recorded and the animals were eliminated from the experiment on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 8th, 10th and 15th days.Results. The data of the microbiological study confirmed the high efficiency of the combinations developed by the authors in relation to standard test strains of pathogen microorganisms. As a result of the planimetric study, a significant decrease in the area of wounds in the experimental group 1 was found compared to the ontrol group, which indicates a more effective course of the healing process in experimental group 1. The same process was noted in the experimental group 2, starting from the 5th day of observation relative to the Control. The use of combinations developed by the authors in the treatment of the purulent-inflammatory process of the subcutaneous layer promotes the rapid reduction of microbial contamination of wounds compared to “Levomekol” ointment. After the histological examination, it was noted that the processes of regeneration and epithelization proceeded better in the experimental groups relative to the control.Conclusion. The immobilized form of benzalkonium chloride and metronidazole in polyethylene oxide gel (combination 2) has the highest antimicrobial activity, in comparison with the rest of the preparations, and is statistically significant, in comparison with the control group. It also reduces the wound area and accelerates the epithelization period. At the same time, there are no significant differences between combination 1 and ointment “Levomecol” in the zones of growth retardation of microorganisms. Combination 1 shows the highest activity in the 1st day of the wound process, so it should be recommended for the treatment of purulent wounds in the first 3 days of the first phase of the wound process. Combination 2 should be recommended starting from the 3rd day of treatment, when the highest healing rate has been noted when applied in the experimental group 2

A Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals a BDNF-Centered Molecular Network Associated with Alcohol Dependence and Related Clinical Measures

At least 50% of factors predisposing to alcohol dependence (AD) are genetic and women affected with this disorder present with more psychiatric comorbidities, probably indicating different genetic factors involved. We aimed to run a genome-wide association study (GWAS) followed by a bioinformatic functional annotation of associated genomic regions in patients with AD and eight related clinical measures. A genome-wide significant association of rs220677 with AD (p-value = 1.33 × 10−8 calculated with the Yates-corrected χ2 test under the assumption of dominant inheritance) was discovered in female patients. Associations of AD and related clinical measures with seven other single nucleotide polymorphisms listed in previous GWASs of psychiatric and addiction traits were differently replicated in male and female patients. The bioinformatic analysis showed that regulatory elements in the eight associated linkage disequilibrium blocks define the expression of 80 protein-coding genes. Nearly 68% of these and of 120 previously published coding genes associated with alcohol phenotypes directly interact in a single network, where BDNF is the most significant hub gene. This study indicates that several genes behind the pathogenesis of AD are different in male and female patients, but implicated molecular mechanisms are functionally connected. The study also reveals a central role of BDNF in the pathogenesis of AD