Treatment with the antipsychotic risperidone is associated with increased M1-like JAK-STAT1 signature gene expression in PBMCs from participants with psychosis and THP-1 monocytes and macrophages

Clinical studies demonstrate alterations to immune measures in psychosis that can vary with illness stage and severity. For example, recent data show that changes to the JAK-STAT1 transcriptional signature, characteristic of an “M1” proinflammatory monocyte and macrophages phenotype, are related to illness duration. While antipsychotics have demonstrated immunomodulatory properties, their effects on this important immune signaling pathway are unknown. The primary aims of this study were to determine the effects of risperidone, a commonly prescribed antipsychotic drug, on the JAK-STAT1 transcriptional signature. Selected measures of JAK-STAT1 signature gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from a clinical sample with psychosis were compared to examine differences induced by risperidone treatment. Additionally, the direct effects of risperidone on the JAK-STAT1 signature were investigated using a THP-1 human monocyte and macrophage cell model. Comparisons within the clinical sample demonstrated that the JAK-STAT1 signature was elevated in PBMCs from participants treated with risperidone who had a longer illness duration compared to untreated participants and those who were risperidone treated but had a shorter illness duration. Results of the in-vitro experiments showed a consistent potentiating effect of risperidone on expression of JAK-STAT1 signature genes in activated monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages. Collectively these data indicate that risperidone may skew myeloid cells to a more proinflammatory phenotype, potentially contributing to increases in expression of JAK-STAT1 signature genes in participants with a longer illness duration.