ELEVATED LE(Y) ANTIGEN EXPRESSION ON T-LYMPHOCYTES IN SCHIZOPHRENIC-PATIENTS

Le(y) is a carbohydrate determinant of membrane glycoconjugates and is expressed in some tumor and embryonic cells. On T lymphocytes, it is known that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected human lymphocyt e T-cell lines express elevated Le(y) antigen and AIDS patients show t he highest Le(y) expression in T lymphocytes at lower CD4/CD8 ratio. L ater, a comparative elevation of Le(y) expression on T-cell subsets ha s been noticed to be mainly present in patients with viral diseases, s uch as acute and chronic hepatitits, implying an association of the hi ghest Le(y) expression with viral infection. We found that Le(y) antig en was most expressed in both CD4+ and CD8+ subsets of peripheral T ly mphocytes in hospitalized schizophrenic patients. On the other hand, a typical lymphocytes with stimulated morphology are known to appear in the blood circulation of schizophrenic patients. Similar atypical lymp hocytes have also been described in viral and autoimmune diseases. Two possibilities have been discussed: viral association in the pathology in some schizophrenic patients; and immunological abnormalities inclu ding environmental effects under hospitalization on immune status, sin ce normal controls (staff in psychiatric hospitals) showed higher Le(y ) expression than normal controls under non-psychiatric circumstances.