Lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood from schizophrenic patients

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Abstract
Patients with acute and chronic schizophrenia were examined for T and Fc receptor-bearing lymphocytes in blood by means of rosette techniques. The patients had normal numbers of peripheral blood lymphocytes. The percentage of T lymphocytes in patients with acute schizophrenia was reduced (60 .+-. 2%) compared with controls (66 .+-. 1%) and patients with chronic schizophrenia (67 .+-. 3%). The total number of T lymphocytes was significantly decreased in patients with acute schizophrenia (1238 .+-. 89 cells/mm3, P < 0.02) compared with controls (1583 .+-. 157 cells/mm3), while patients with chronic schizophrenia had slightly elevated numbers (1778 .+-. 200 cells/mm3). The percentage and total numbers of Fc receptor-bearing lymphocytes were normal in both patient groups. Both immune mechanisms and the neuroleptic drug treatment may be of importance for the observed decrease in T lymphocyte numbers in blood from patients with acute schizophrenia.