Shahriar Shirekhoda - Student Research Committee, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
Zahra Sepehrmanesh - Psychiatry Department, School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan,Iran

Background and Objective: Immune dysfuncion has been implicated to be important part of pathopysiology of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). But whether these immune changes are traits of disease or secondary to clinical burden of the disease has not been determined. In this study we aimed to investigate the relation of blood levels of interleukin-33 (IL-33) and interleukin-38 (IL-38) with OCD. Methods: forty five patients with OCD and forty four age, sex and educational level matched healthy control were enrolled in the study. The diagnosis of OCD was made with Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). The serum levels of IL-33 and IL-38 of both groups were measured with ELISA kits. Results: The serum level of IL-33 was significantly higher in the case group compared with that in the control group (74.31 ± 16.10 vs. 88.34 ± 17.80 pg/dm, P<0.001). The serum IL-37 levels did not differ significantly between the two group.(2.09 ± 0.16 vs. 2.17 ± 0.19 pg/ml, P-value=0.077). Conclusion: The results showed that serum IL-33 increased significantly in patients with OCD. There may be a link between IL-33 and pathogenesis of OCD, then new choices for treatment might be developed.This study was considered exempt by the Kashan University of Medical Sciences Institutional Review Board (ID: IR.KAUMS.MEDNT.REC.1397.010)

interleukin-33, interleukin-38, obsessive compulsive disorder