The effect of lithium on the immune system

✍ Scribed by Janusz K. Rybakowski

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 110 KB
• Volume: 14
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0885-6222
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1077(199907)14:5<345::aid-hup105>3.0.co;2-t

✦ Synopsis

A substantial amount of data point to antiviral and immunomodulatory eects of lithium both in vitro and in vivo. Antiviral eect of lithium, particularly against herpes viruses, was demonstrated both in aective patients taking lithium for prophylactic purposes and in non-aective subjects. Modulatory eects of lithium on many parameters of cellular and humoral immunity were also found in clinical studies with aective patients. These ®ndings have been paralleled by new information indicating a possible pathogenic role of viral infection and immune dysfunction in aective illness. A hypothesis is proposed that the antiviral and immunomodulatory action of lithium may have relevance to the prevention by this ionic drug of the recurrences of aective episodes and the potentiation of antidepressants in treatment-resistant depression.