Sigma receptors and autoimmune mechanisms in schizophrenia: preliminary findings and hypotheses.

Based on commonalities between peripheral blood "immunocytes" and central nervous system cells (both have receptors for endorphins, enkephalins, dopamine, acetylcholine, etc.) blocking of potassium ion channels in both brain cell synaptosome and suppressor T cells, and common sharing of antigenic determinants on one or another immunocyte and one or another CNS cells, we postulated that peripheral blood immunocytes can be used to study CNS mechanisms. In the present studies we used peripheral blood lymphocytes to study the effects of phencyclidine (PCP) on various receptors. This agent causes a permanent psychosis similar to chronic schizophrenia in a small percent of users. We observed similar effects in binding to sigma receptors, inhibition of binding and reversibility of binding in receptors of both human peripheral blood receptors and the mouse neuroblastoma, a hamster brain cell hybrid clone. The results are complete with the hypothesis that some cases of schizophrenia are immunologically mediated, perhaps due to antibodies to the sigma receptor. Alternatively, immunologic deficiency might hinder elimination of neurotropic viruses which in genetically predisposed individuals bind to and block the sigma receptor. Functional deficiency of the brain cell equivalent of lymphocyte suppressor T cells by one or another immunologic mechanisms or an excess of T helper cells might also cause schizophrenia by causing an excess of normal brain "B-cell equivalent cell" output response to sensory input.