Accumulating evidence indicates that schizophrenia is accompanied by significant activation of the immune system; however, there is limited data from low and middle-income countries (LMIC). Inflammatory markers may be more relevant in LMIC settings where infectious conditions are more prevalent and may thus play some role in the causation and maintenance of schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to assess the level of inflammatory markers high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in patients with schizophrenia. The study population consisted of a total of 132 study participants; 82 participants with schizophrenia and 50 controls. hsCRP and IL-6 were measured using Cobas Integra 400 Plus and Cobas e 411 analysers respectively. The levels of hsCRP and IL-6 were significantly increased among participants with schizophrenia compared to controls: hsCRP mean value 2.87 ± 5.6 vs 0.67 ± 0.6 mg/L; IL-6 mean value 6.63 ± 5.6 vs 3.37 ± 4.0 pg/ml. Controlling for potential confounders (age, sex and body mass index), having a diagnosis of schizophrenia remained significantly associated with increased hsCRP and IL-6. The results confirm that inflammatory processes may have a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia regardless of setting. Despite failure of some interventions with anti-inflammatory properties, interventions to reduce inflammation are still worth pursuing.

中文翻译：

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埃塞俄比亚难治性精神分裂症患者血清高敏C反应蛋白和IL-6标志物水平：一项比较研究

越来越多的证据表明，精神分裂症伴随着免疫系统的显着激活。然而，来自低收入和中等收入国家（LMIC）的数据有限。炎症标志物在感染性疾病更为普遍的中低收入国家中可能更相关，因此可能在精神分裂症的病因和维持中发挥一定作用。本研究的目的是评估精神分裂症患者炎症标志物高敏 C 反应蛋白 (hsCRP) 和白细胞介素 6 (IL-6) 的水平。研究人群共有 132 名研究参与者；82 名患有精神分裂症的参与者和 50 名对照者。hsCRP 和 IL-6 分别使用 Cobas Integra 400 Plus 和 Cobas e 411 分析仪测量。与对照组相比，精神分裂症患者的 hsCRP 和 IL-6 水平显着升高：hsCRP 平均值为 2.87 ± 5.6 vs 0.67 ± 0.6 mg/L；IL-6 平均值 6.63 ± 5.6 vs 3.37 ± 4.0 pg/ml。控制潜在的混杂因素（年龄、性别和体重指数）后，精神分裂症的诊断仍然与 hsCRP 和 IL-6 升高显着相关。结果证实，无论环境如何，炎症过程都可能在精神分裂症的病理生理学中发挥作用。尽管一些具有抗炎特性的干预措施失败了，但减少炎症的干预措施仍然值得追求。