title: Antinuclear autoantibodies in chronic schizophrenia.
abstract: We determined the presence of antinuclear autoantibodies (ANA), antinative DNA and histone-reactive ANA in 3 groups of chronic schizophrenic patients (n=85): haloperidol-treated patients (for at least 3 months) (n=35), drug-free for at least 3 months (n=35) and neuroleptic-naive patients (n=15). The autoantibody titers were compared with those of healthy controls (n=37). A significantly higher frequency of positive ANA was found among chronic schizophrenic patients (approximately 20%) as compared with the controls (approximately 5%), irrespective of drug treatment, sex and age. No antinative ANA autoantibodies or histone reactive ANA were detected in either schizophrenic patients or controls. Further studies are needed to isolate and characterize in ANA-positive schizophrenic patients a putative specific ANA profile.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit, Ness Ziona Government Psychiatric Hospital, Israel.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Spivak
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Radwan
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bartur
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mester
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weizman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D015551:Autoimmunity; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D001323:Autoantibodies; D006220:Haloperidol