Immunity, inflammation, and bipolar disorder: diagnostic and therapeutic implications

Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2013 Sep;15(9):387. doi: 10.1007/s11920-013-0387-y.

Abstract

Bipolar disorder is now known to be associated not only with highly prevalent co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders but also with medical comorbidities, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, obesity and thyroid dysfunction. Inflammatory disturbances repeatedly observed in bipolar disorder, can explain some of the comorbidity between bipolar disorder and medical disorder. This revised perspective of bipolar disorders should promote the development of therapeutic tools. Immuno-inflammatory dysfunction may well represent a significant component of the underlying pathophysiology of the disorder. We therefore propose to review the immuno-inflammatory hypothesis in bipolar disorder considering the co-occurence with autoimmune diseases, immunological and inflammatory markers, as well as immuno-genetic markers which could lead to personalized treatments.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antidepressive Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antipsychotic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Autoimmunity / physiology*
  • Bipolar Disorder* / diagnosis
  • Bipolar Disorder* / drug therapy
  • Bipolar Disorder* / immunology
  • Bipolar Disorder* / physiopathology
  • C-Reactive Protein / metabolism
  • Comorbidity
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Inflammation* / immunology
  • Inflammation* / physiopathology

Substances

  • Antidepressive Agents
  • Antipsychotic Agents
  • Cytokines
  • C-Reactive Protein