[Psychoses, immunity and neurospecific antigens. Current knowledge and perspectives]

Abstract

Investigations performed by various workers during the last ten years suggest that some forms of mental illness are associated with a variety of immunological reactions. Significant variations in immunoglobulin ratios have been observed in patients with psychotic illness, and cellular and humoral cytotoxic activities against cerebral tissue have been demonstrated in vitro. At the molecular level, several subjects can be proposed for investigation into immunological phenomena in neuropathology. Thus, the neurospecific antigens, which have been isolated by biochemical methods, but the physiological role of which is largely unknown, open news ways to the experimental exploration of psychopathology.