Natural autoantibodies in schizophrenia.

Autoantibodies reacting with cell constituents other than antinuclear antibodies have seldom been reported in the literature on schizophrenia. Serum of 41 DSM-III-R schizophrenic patients was examined for the presence of various autoantibodies and compared with that of healthy volunteers (n = 10) and hospitalized controls. Titers of IgG, IgA and IgM autoantibodies directed against actin, tubulin, myosin, DNA, thyroglobulin, elastin, albumin, DNA and trinitrophenyl groups were determined using enzyme immunoassay. IgG and IgA titers were significantly decreased in schizophrenic patients. These results contrast with those obtained with various other autoimmune and nonautoimmune diseases in which titers are either unchanged or increased. A significant increase of various autoantibody levels was observed in the paranoid subgroup of schizophrenics compared with the disorganized subgroup. These autoantibodies possess characteristics similar to those of natural autoantibodies, which seem to play several biological roles.