Serum immunoreactivity to S-100 in children with cerebral palsy and delayed development and in their healthy parents

The passive immunization of pregnant female rats to S-100 protein often lea ds to ultra-structural abnormalities in the brain glial structures of the o ffspring of these rats and induces signs of delayed development in the feca l brain. Additionally passive immunization of pregnant animals with certain antigens induces permanent Ag-specific changes in the immune response of t heir offspring. The purpose of this study was to investigate serum immunore activiy (SIR) to S-100 in cerebral-palsied and developmentally-delayed chil dren as well as in their healthy parents and to evaluate its significance r elated to radiologic findings of brain MRI and single photon emission compu ted tomography (SPECT). The subjects were children with cerebral palsy and delayed development chat had abnormal findings on brain MRI or Brain SPECT. SIR to S-100 protein was measured by ELISA method in the patients, their h ealthy parents, 20 normal adult controls and 22 normally developed children . The SIR to S-100 protein was significantly higher in the cerebral-palsied and developmentally-delayed children when compared to chat of the normal c ontrol group children. Increased SIRs were detected in healthy mothers but not in their fathers. There was no difference of SIR between the cerebral-p alsied and developmentally-delayed children or any significant difference o f SIRs according to the findings of the brain MRI or to developmental quoti ents. But, the SIRs to S-100 protein were higher in the group of more abnor mal findings on brain SPECT.