Autoimmune model of schizophrenia with special reference to antibrain antibodies.

Antibrain antibody titers were determined by hemagglutination technique in sera and cerebrospinal fluid of 54 schizophrenic patients and 27 nonschizophrenic controls. Antibrain antibodies were detected in sera and CSF of 26 (48.1%) schizophrenics but in none of the controls. They were significantly more often present in those schizophrenics who had a past history (p less than 0.01) and family history (p less than 0.01) of schizophrenia. They had no significant relationship with the subtype and the duration of schizophrenia. The possible genetic and immunological implications of these findings are discussed.