Evidence from epidemiological, clinical, and biological research resulted in the immune hypothesis: the hypothesis that immune system dysfunction is involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD). The promising implication of this hypothesis is the potential to use existing immunomodulatory treatment for innovative interventions for SSD. Here, we provide a selective historical review of important discoveries that have shaped our understanding of immune dysfunction in SSD. We first explain the basic principles of immune dysfunction, after which we travel more than a century back in time. Starting our journey with neurosyphilis-associated psychosis in the nineteenth century, we continue by evaluating the role of infections and autoimmunity in SSD and findings from assessment of immune function using new techniques, such as cytokine levels, microglia density, neuroimaging, and gene expression. Drawing from these findings, we discuss anti-inflammatory interventions for SSD, and we conclude with a look into the future.

中文翻译：

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精神分裂症谱系障碍中的免疫功能障碍


来自流行病学、临床和生物学研究的证据导致了免疫假说：免疫系统功能障碍与精神分裂症谱系障碍 （SSD） 的病理生理学有关的假说。这一假设的有希望的含义是有可能使用现有的免疫调节治疗进行 SSD 的创新干预。在这里，我们对影响我们对 SSD 免疫功能障碍理解的重要发现进行了选择性的历史回顾。我们首先解释了免疫功能障碍的基本原理，然后我们回到了一个多世纪前。从 19 世纪的神经梅毒相关精神病开始，我们继续评估感染和自身免疫在 SSD 中的作用，并使用细胞因子水平、小胶质细胞密度、神经影像学和基因表达等新技术评估免疫功能的结果。根据这些发现，我们讨论了 SSD 的抗炎干预措施，最后展望了未来。