Antinuclear Antibodies in Psychiatric Patients treated with Psychotropic Drugs

Abstract

Antinuclear antibodies in sera obtained from 183 psychiatric patients treated with psychotropic drugs were studied.Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were detected by the indirect immunofluorescent method using rat liver cells as substrate. Farr assay was employed to determined the binding capacity for DNA. The immunoglobulin classes and complement fixing ability (CF) of anti-dsDNA were detected by the indirect immunofluorescent method and the complement fixation method, respectively, using Crithidia luciliae kinetoplasts as the substrate. Anti-ENA was detected by the hemagglutination test (PHA) and double immunodiffusion. Anti-histone was detected by the histone reconstitution of the immunofluorescent test. HLA typing for antigens of the A, B and C was performed by the standard lymphocyte microcytotoxicity test provided by the Terasaki laboratory. Typing for HLA-DR was performed on B lymphocytes isolated on nylon wool column. As controls, 75 normal Japanese individuals were tissue typed with the same antisera.ANA was detected in 37 patients (20.2%). Total doses of carbamazepine in the patients with ANA were significantly larger than in those without ANA. The patients with ANA hada photosensitivity and oral ulceration significantly more than those without ANA. The patients with ANA had a tendency to have an association with HLA-DRw8.Anti-DNA antibodies by Farr assay were detected in 25 patients, but titer of anti-DNA was low. Anti-dsDNA by Crithidia immunofluorescent technique was detected in two patients. However, CF of anti-dsDNA was not detected in any patients. Anti-ENA by PHA technique was detected in 21 patients. The patients with anti-ENA had arthralgia and hypergammaglobulinemia significantly more than those without anti-ENA. Anti-histone antibodies were detected in three patients, who were treated with chlorpromazine.