Simple peripheral markers for inflammation in drug-naive, comorbidity-free adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder

Abstract

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric disorder and has different etiopathogenic mechanisms. One of these mechanisms is immunologic factors. Studies on immunologic factors, various cytokines, and cellular elements were investigated. In order to evaluate the immunological factors in psychiatric disorders, hemogram parameters which is a simple and inexpensive method, have been examined. In our study, we aimed to assess hemogram parameters in drug-naive, comorbidity-free adolescents with OCD comparing with controls. Drug-naive, comorbidity free 31 OCD patients and 47 healthy adolescents without organic or psychiatric disease were included in our study. Lymphocytes, RDW, platelets, and PCT values of the adolescents with OCD were significantly lower than those of the control group. Hemogram parameters such as WBC, hemoglobin, RBC, HCT, MCV, MCH, MCHC, MPV, Neutrophils, neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio, and the platelet-lymphocyte ratio of the study group and control group were similar. Our results indicate that lymphocytes and RDW prone to be lower in adolescents with OCD. The results of our study are consistent with the previous studies, showing decreased hemogram parameters associated with inflammation in adolescents with OCD. Our study suggests that we need further follow-up study to enlighten the role of inflammation in the etiology and treatment of OCD comprehensively.