Summary
The levels of IgM, IgG and IgA were measured in the serum of 337 psychiatric inpatients (92 patients with bipolar depression, 150 patients with unipolar depression and 95 schizophrenics) and compared to 150 healthy subjects. A significantly higher level of IgM was found in all psychiatric groups compared with the controls, and IgM levels were more elevated in female patients than in male patients for the bipolar and unipolar groups. There were no differences for the other immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA) among the groups studied. In 51 of the patients (17 bipolar, 34 unipolar), other measurements were performed (Greactive protein, antinuclear antibodies, lymphocyte antibodies, thyroid antibodies, complement and the third and fourth factors of complement). The unipolar group showed a significant rise of C-reactive protein values and the presence of antinuclear antibodies. Interestingly all patients with antinuclear antibodies were females. No difference was found between psychiatric patients and controls in lymphocyte antibodies, thyroid antibodies and values of complement.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amkraut A, Salomon GF, Allansmith M (1973) Immunoglobulins and improvement in acute schizophrenic reactions. Arch Gen Psychiatry 28:673–677
Bech P (1976) Immunoglobulins, prealbumin, transferrin albumin and α-2 macroglobulin in cerebrospinal fluid and serum in acutely schizophrenic patients. Presented at first International Symposium on Immunological components in schizophrenia, Galveston, Texas, in press.
Bech P, Rafaelsen OJ (1974) Schizophrenia, protein in blood and cerebrospinal fluid. Dan Med Bull 21:93–105
Bech P, Weeke B, Rafaelsen OJ (1971) Serum proteins in acutely psychiatric patients. J Psychiatr Res 9:1–9
Deberdt R, Van Horren J, Biesbrouck M, Amery W (1976) Antinuclear Factor Positive Mental Depression: a single Disease entity? Biol Psychiatry 11:69–74
Domino EF, Krause RP, Thiessen MM, Batsakis JG (1975) Blood protein fraction comparisons of normal and schizophrenic patients. Arch Gen Psychiatry 32:717–721
Fontana A, Storck U, Angst J, Dubs R, Abegg A, Grob PJ (1980) An Immunological Basis of schizophrenia and Affective Disorders? Neuropsychol Biol 6:284–290
Fuller Torrey E, Yolken R, Winfrey J (1982) Cytomegalovirus antibody in cerebrospinal fluid of schizophrenic patients detected by enzyme immunoassay. Science 216:892–893
Gastpar M, Müller W (1980) Autoantibodies in affective disorders. Neuro-Psychopharmacol 5:96–97
Ghose K, Coppen A, Hurdle ADF, McIllray I (1977) Antinuclear antibodies, affective disorders and lithium therapy. Pharmakopsychiatria 10:243–245
Gottfries CG, Gottfries I (1974) Antinuclear factors in relation to age, sex, mental disease and treatment with phenothiozine. Acta Psychiatr Scand 255:193–201
Hendrie HC, Paraskevos F, Varsomis J (1972) Gammaglobulin levels in psychiatric patients. Can Psychiatr Assoc J 17:93–97
Johnstone EC, Wholey K (1975) Antinuclear antibodies in psychiatric illnesses: their relationship to diagnosis and drug treatment. Br Med J 11:724–725
Kabat EA, Mayer MM (1961) Experimental Immunochemistry. Thomas, Springfield, Illinois
Mancini G, Carbonora AO, Heremans JF (1965) Immunochemical quantitation of antigens by single radial immunodiffusion. Immunochemistry 2:235
McCluskey RT (1971) The role of immunofluorescence in the study of human renal disease. J Exp Med 134:2425
Mellsop G, Wittingham S, Ungar B (1973) Schizophrenia and autoimmune serological reactions. Arch Gen Psychiatry 28:194–196
Pearson EK (1973) Study of cerebrospinal fluid in schizophrenic—a review of the literature. Psychopharmacol Bull 9:59–62
Pulkkinen E (1977) Immunoglobulins psychopathology and prognosis in schizophrenia. Acta Psychiatr Scand 56:173–182
Salomon GF, Allansmith M, McClillan B, Amkraut A (1964) Immunoglobulins in psychiatric patients. Arch Gen Psychiatry 20:272–277
Shopsin B, Sathanonthan GL, Chan TL, Kravitz H, Gershon S (1973) Antinuclear factor in psychiatric patients. Biol Psychiatr 7:81–87
Strahilewitz M, Davis S (1970) Increased IgA in Schizophrenic patients. Lancet 2:370
Strahilewitz M, Fleishman JB, Fischer GW (1976) Immunoglobulin levels in psychiatric patients. Am Psychiary 133:772–777
Vecchio MD, Del Vacca L, Celoni T (1975) Variazioni delle immunoglobuline seriche in pazienti schizofrenia cronici: valutazioni statistiche. Acta Neurol 30:483–496
Von Brauchitsch H (1972) Antinuclear factor in psychiatric disorders. Am J Psychiatr 128:1552
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Legros, S., Mendlewicz, J. & Wybran, J. Immunoglobulins, autoantibodies and other serum protein fractions in psychiatric disorders. Eur Arch Psychiatr Neurol Sci 235, 9–11 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00380962
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00380962