TY - JOUR
T1 - Inflammation, hippocampal volume, and cognition in schizophrenia
T2 - results from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966
AU - Miller, Brian J.
AU - Herzig, Karl Heinz
AU - Jokelainen, Jari
AU - Karhu, Toni
AU - Keinänen-Kiukaanniemi, Sirkka
AU - Järvelin, Marjo Riitta
AU - Veijola, Juha
AU - Viinamäki, Heimo
AU - Päivikki Tanskanen,
AU - Jääskeläinen, Erika
AU - Isohanni, Matti
AU - Timonen, Markku
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2021/6
Y1 - 2021/6
N2 - Increased blood interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels are a replicated abnormality in schizophrenia, and may be associated with smaller hippocampal volumes and greater cognitive impairment. These findings have not been investigated in a population-based birth cohort. The general population Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 was followed until age 43. Subjects with schizophrenia were identified through the national Finnish Care Register. Blood IL-6 levels were measured in n = 82 subjects with schizophrenia and n = 5373 controls at age 31. Additionally, 31 patients with schizophrenia and 63 healthy controls underwent brain structural MRI at age 34, and cognitive testing at ages 34 and 43. Patients with schizophrenia had significantly higher median (interquartile range) blood IL-6 levels than controls (5.31, 0.85–17.20, versus 2.42, 0.54–9.36, p = 0.02) after controlling for potential confounding factors. In both schizophrenia and controls, higher blood IL-6 levels were predictors of smaller hippocampal volumes, but not cognitive performance at age 34. We found evidence for increased IL-6 levels in patients with midlife schizophrenia from a population-based birth cohort, and replicated associations between IL-6 levels and hippocampal volumes. Our results complement and extend the previous findings, providing additional evidence that IL-6 may play a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and associated brain alterations.
AB - Increased blood interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels are a replicated abnormality in schizophrenia, and may be associated with smaller hippocampal volumes and greater cognitive impairment. These findings have not been investigated in a population-based birth cohort. The general population Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 was followed until age 43. Subjects with schizophrenia were identified through the national Finnish Care Register. Blood IL-6 levels were measured in n = 82 subjects with schizophrenia and n = 5373 controls at age 31. Additionally, 31 patients with schizophrenia and 63 healthy controls underwent brain structural MRI at age 34, and cognitive testing at ages 34 and 43. Patients with schizophrenia had significantly higher median (interquartile range) blood IL-6 levels than controls (5.31, 0.85–17.20, versus 2.42, 0.54–9.36, p = 0.02) after controlling for potential confounding factors. In both schizophrenia and controls, higher blood IL-6 levels were predictors of smaller hippocampal volumes, but not cognitive performance at age 34. We found evidence for increased IL-6 levels in patients with midlife schizophrenia from a population-based birth cohort, and replicated associations between IL-6 levels and hippocampal volumes. Our results complement and extend the previous findings, providing additional evidence that IL-6 may play a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and associated brain alterations.
KW - Birth cohort
KW - Cognition
KW - Hippocampus
KW - Interleukin-6
KW - Schizophrenia
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U2 - 10.1007/s00406-020-01134-x
DO - 10.1007/s00406-020-01134-x
M3 - Article
C2 - 32382794
AN - SCOPUS:85084325997
SN - 0940-1334
VL - 271
SP - 609
EP - 622
JO - European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
JF - European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
IS - 4
ER -