Is schizophrenia a disorder of the immune system?

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Using data from the largest ever genetic study of schizophrenia, researchers have shed light on the role of the immune system.

It had been suspected that the illness was an autoimmune disorder like multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s or rheumatoid arthritis where the immune system misfires and attacks the body.The international team led by Dr Jennie Pouget from the University of Toronto and Dr Jo Knight from Lancaster University have found strong evidence that schizophrenia is different.

They tested the idea that genetic variants influencing immune function contribute to the disease but they found that the pattern in schizophrenia is not the same as in classic autoimmune disorders.

Among 108 regions of the genome previously linked to the schizophrenia, they found only six which act on both the immune system and the brain.

Jennie Pouget said: “This doesn’t mean that the immune system isn’t involved at all but it could be involved in a completely different way.”

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I kind of hope it is a immune disorder because they should be able to cure that easier.

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I have read that - my docs always debate depending on which one you talk to that my sz ws a precursor/result from my Lupus. To me it doesn’t matter the cause or the why - just the getting through…

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This is really interesting.

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I was going to say that lol

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I find this so interesting. About a year before I was diagnosed, my blood test results kept coming up with a high inflammation marker. A year later I get schizophrenia

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I made mention of that somewhere on the board. how I see it as a natural progression of expansion in humans.

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I had high inflammation before getting on meds.

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OK, so the conclusion is that the immune system is not linked to schizophrenia, as far a they can tell, since only 6 of 108 regions linked to schizophrenia have any bearing at all on the immune system. Well, since immune system isn’t involved, at least that is one more box ticked (sort of) and now we keep looking. They’ll find it one day for sure. It is just a matter of time.

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Hey I think there is possibly some confusion…the Immune system may be involved that is different to an Autoimmune disorder?

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Clipped article - pasting whole articles can get us into copyright trouble. Just a few paragraphs and a link should do.