Blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier in schizophrenic patients.

A total of 15 young white male patients newly diagnosed as schizophrenic (DMS III) were examined for signs of blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier alteration and CNS IgG synthesis. Of the 15 patients, 8 exhibited signs of increased blood-CSF barrier permeability. There was a high correlation between the ratio for CSF/serum albumin concentration and the CSF total protein concentration. Local IgG synthesis in the CNS was not detected in any of the patients.