The British Journal of Psychiatry 145: 661-665 (1984)
© 1984 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Serum immunoglobulin concentrations in patients admitted to an acute psychiatric in-patient service
LE DeLisi, AC King and S Targum
Serum immunoglobulins were quantified in 85 consecutively admitted patients
from an acute-care psychiatric in-patient unit. The patients were diagnosed
as: major depressive disorder, 53; chronic schizophrenia, 12;
schizophreniform psychosis, 4; substance abuse disorder, 12; and
miscellaneous other diagnoses, 4. A small sub-group of these patients,
which included six with major depression, one with chronic schizophrenia,
and one with a personality disorder, were found to have low IgM
concentrations. Immunoglobulin levels were not associated with use of
medication or length of illness prior to this hospital admission. This
study provides further evidence for suppression of humoral immunity in some
psychiatric patients (approximately 10%).