Characteristics of anti-brain heteroantibodies in the serum of patients with nervous and mental diseases

Summary

Anticerebral heteroantibodies, found in the serum of some patients with nervous and mental diseases; show an elective activity with respect to antigens produced from the brain of rats, mice and hamsters and are inactive or slightly active against antigens contained in the brain of humans, guinea pigs, dogs, rabbits, birds and fish. The above antibodies appear mainly a serum γ-globulin fraction. It is presumed that the cerebral tissue of mice, rats, hamsters includes a specific heterogenic antigen, similar to some, as yet little known antigenic brain structures in man. The appearance of anticerebral antibodies against human serum comes as a result of destructive processes, affecting corresponding heterogenic substances of the human brain. The selective reaction of the sera obtained from patients with brain extracts of mice, rat and hamsters is caused by the high level of these heterogenous antigens in the cerebral tissue of these animal species.