Schizophrenia and other psychiatric diseases: evidence for neurotissue hypersensitivity.

Psychiatric patients (208 with cerebral atrophy, 46 with dementia, 82 with depression and 481 with schizophrenia) with control subjects (56 normal individuals and patients with neurosis) were skin-tested with human S-100 brain protein, soluble fraction from the brain and liver protein. The local Arthus and delayed hypersensitivity reactions were read at 4-6 hr and at 24 hr respectively. The great majority of tested psychiatric patients developed positive Arthus and delayed skin reactions to S-100 protein and soluble brain protein fraction. A small number of control subjects responded to those antigens. The results obtained suggest that there is a correlation between local cutaneous sensitivity to neurotissue antigens and psychiatric diseases, and that both humoral and cell-mediated immunity are involved in the pathogenesis and development of cerebral atrophy, dementia, depression and schizophrenia.