T-CELL SUBSETS IN ACUTE PSYCHOTIC SCHIZOPHRENIC-PATIENTS

Two-color flow cytometric analysis was performed on peripheral blood lymphocytes of 16 unheated schizophrenic patients during an acute psychotic attack and 16 healthy control subjects to evaluate differences in T-cell subpopulations. In schizophrenic patients, we observed decrease in CD4(+)2H4(+) (suppressor-inducer) and CD8(+)2H4(+) (suppressor-effector) T-cell subsets. The selective loss 2H4(+) cell marker both on helper and suppressor T cells was not correlated to the severity of acute psychosis. Our results may indicate a mechanism of an immune disequilibrium in schizophrenic patients during an acute psychotic attack.