Antiretroviral antibodies: Implications for schizophrenia, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and bipolar disorder

Background: Some retroviral antigens share structural homology within a gro up of related retroviruses. It is possible that antibodies directed against one virus may cross-react with antigens from a different virus in the grou p. Methods: Using this principle, the human immunodeficiency virus I (HN-I) We stern blot assay was used as art available source of human retroviral antig ens to screen serum samples from an archived collection to ascertain whethe r there was an association between serum antiretroviral antibodies and ment al illnesses. Results: A statistically significant proportion (28/54, 52%) of patients su ffering from psychiatric disorders had serum antibodies that recognized at least one antigen present on the blot, culminating in indeterminate HIV-1 t ests. The majority of the reactive samples were directed against the HN-I g roup antigens p24 and p17. These findings contrast with those of nonpsychia tric patients, who had 4/16 (25%) indeterminate blots. Conclusions: The results suggest exposure to retroviral antigens related to those of HIV-1 in subpopulations of schizophrenic, schizophrenic spectrum disorder, and bipolar disorder patients. (C) 1999 Society of Biological Psy chiatry.