Objective: To examine whether antiputamen antibodies are present in adolesc
ents with anorexia nervosa (AN). Method: Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent
assay (ELISA) with an extract of human putamen as an antigen, sera samples
obtained from 22 adolescents with active AN and from 22 healthy adolescents
(control group) were assayed for antibodies to neuronal components Results
: Mean optical density (OD) readings for serum antibodies against human put
amen in adolescents with AN was significantly greater than the mean OD read
ings in the control group (0.492 +/- 0.086 vs. 0.275 +/- 0.028, p = .02). W
hen serum positivity was defined as an OD level greater than 2 SD above the
mean control group value (0.541), antiputamen antibodies were detected in
the blood of 6 AN patients (27%) whereas they were detected in the blood of
1 patient (5%) in the control group (p < .05; Fisher's exact test). Discus
sion: The detection of antiputamen antibodies in adolescents with AN sugges
ts an underlying immune process at the putamen level in some patients with
this eating disorder. <(c)> 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.