Immunological biomarkers of postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder

This chapter reviews the evidence for immunological biomarkers of perinatal obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Evidence for any such biomarkers is scare at this time, but considerable evidence exists concerning both immune system dysregulation in the perinatal period and possible immune connections with OCD outside the perinatal period. The chapter reviews the evidence for these two areas, including the possible roles of autoantibodies, circulating cytokines, stimulated cytokines, and alterations in leukocyte subpopulations in OCD. This evidence is then applied to future directions of research in perinatal OCD.