Abstract: Objective To explore the correlation between the interleukin-17 （IL-17） level of peripheral blood and aggression of bipolar mania. Methods Thirty-six patients of bipolar mania were selected as experimental group by DSM-Ⅳ-TR and received treatment with quetiapine and lithium. Thirty-six healthy volunteers with similar age and gender were selected as control group. The level of IL-17 at baseline in each group and the level of IL-17 in the experimental group after treatment for 2, 4 and 8 weeks were detected by ELISA. Results The level of IL-17 in experimental group at baseline, after treatment for 2 and 4 weeks were all significantly higher than that in control group. After 8 weeks treatment, there was no significant difference between the two groups （P>0.05）. After 2, 4 and 8 weeks treatment, the total score and aggression score of Young Mania Rating Score （YMRS） were significantly lower than the baseline level （P<0.05）. In experimental group, the level of IL-17 was positively correlated with the two scores of YMRS at baseline （P<0.05）. Conclusion Bipolar mania may be related to the up-regulation of IL-17. The level of IL-17 is related to the severity of manic symptoms at baseline, especially aggression symptom.

Key words: forensic psychiatry, bipolar disorder, interleukin-17, aggression