DIFFERENCES IN THE NATURAL AUTOANTIBODY PATTERNS OF PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA AND NORMAL INDIVIDUALS

The expression of IgG and IgM autoantibodies directed against various autoantigens, either part of the central nervous system or not, was in vestigated in the sera of inpatients with schizophrenia (n = 10), An e nzyme immunoassay was used to measure the levels of these autoantibodi es in whole sera, IgG-depleted sera, and isolated IgG fractions, IgG a nd IBM antibodies, reacting with all the antigens tested, were present in the sera of patients with schizophrenia as well as in the sera of normal individuals, Among patients suffering from schizophrenia, IgM n atural autoantibody reactivities could be higher (myoglobin, serotonin , tubulin), lower (dopamine), or even identical to those of normal ind ividuals, depending on whether whole or fractionated sera were assayed and on the group of patients with schizophrenia (responders and nonre sponders) considered, The isolated IgG fractions of patients suffering from schizophrenia had higher anti-DNA and antiserotonin reactivities than those detected in normal individuals.