Immunoglobulins, psychopathology and prognosis in schizophrenia

Abstract

On admission, IgA, IgG and IgM concentrations were determined in 76 schizophrenics, and the correlations of these concentrations to the variables relating to psychopathology, background and prognosis were investigated in the present study, which is a part of a more extensive unpublished study. On the basis of factorization, the highest IgM concentrations were found in withdrawn schizophrenics and the lowest in paranoid schizophrenics. Of the background variables, the patient's present age had a positive correlation and his place of birth (rural-urban) a negative correlation to IgA concentrations, both being at a statistically significant level. IgA and IgM values higher than average at the beginning of treatment predicted a short hospital stay. Earlier, these patients had also needed little hospital care in relation to the duration of the disease. A hypothesis based on the results is presented, according to which a different way of reacting to stress may explain the differences in IgM concentrations in withdrawn and paranoid schizophrenics. The connection between prognosis and immunoglobulins was considered at least partially explainable on the grounds of age at the onset of the disease.

Immunoglobulins in schizophrenics and prediction of need for hospital care

“…One can only hypothesize as to why exceedingly high IgA levels are correlated with a favourable prognosis. Higher age at onset of illness is associated with higher than average IgA concentrations (5). Similarly in this study, the age at onset was higher in the group with exceedingly high IgA levels than in the control group.…”

“…A higher than average IgA concentration, on the basis of the correlation coefficient, on initial admission indicated a less need for hospital care during the follow-up, which supports the earlier observations on the correlation between immunoglobulins and prognosis (5). The scattering diagram, however, indicates that the linear correlation coefficient does not adequately explain this relationship.…”

Immunoglobulin sub-class distribution in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia: potential relationship with latent Toxoplasma Gondii infection

“…The low levels of IgG and IgG1 observed here can mark the stable phase of the disease and/or related to the duration of the disease. For example, in SZ during acute crisis and also depending upon the duration of the disease, an increase in the mean serum level of total IgG was observed [ 1 , 3 , 6 , 10 , 11 , 27 , 29 , 32 ]. In the present study, as the low levels of IgG and IgG1 persisted in the BD group when the duration of the disease is taken into consideration, One may hypothesize that at stable phase, the inflammatory processes might be less vigorous than in acute phase of established infection, say T. gondii or other intercurrent infections from environmental sources may contribute to such inflammatory flare up in BD and SZ.…”

“…Yet another report described a decreased IgD levels in BD [ 35 ]. Studies focusing on SZ revealed an elevation of IgA, IgM or IgG in the patients’ sera or CSF during acute phases of the disease ([ 1 , 3 , 6 , 10 , 11 , 16 , 27 , 29 , 32 ]). Interestingly, in SZ, IgG raises gradually to reach a peak at about 12 to 17 years after the onset typically mirroring persistence of an underlying infection [ 10 , 33 ].…”

Failure to detect dopamine receptor IgG autoantibodies in sera of schizophrenic patients

“…Abramsky and Litvin (1978) and again Knight (1982) postulated that antidopamine receptor antibodies might be the cause of schizophrenia. Several other studies reported changes in blood and CSF immunoglobulin levels of schizophrenic patients (Solomon et al, 1969;Strahilevitz et al, 1970Strahilevitz et al, , 1976Pulkkinen, 1977;de Lisi et al, 1981;Ahokas et al, 1985;Legros et al, 1985).…”