Blood proteins in functional psychoses. A review of the literature and unifying hypothesis.

Abstract

The question of abnormal blood proteins of various sorts in the functional psychoses has been rather extensively investigated. The work is scattered throughout the world literature and much of it is in Russian. The purpose of this paper is to bring together some of the important work of the last 10 years. Most of the literature reviewed is in English. Some of the Russian and Continental work has been covered, but the unavailability of some relevant papers and the difficulties of translation have limited the review of foreign work. Several theories about the role of abnormal protein metabolism in the etiology or pathogenesis of the functional psychoses have recently been proposed. Some 53-59 have suggested that a circulating protein, taraxein, produces the schizophrenic reaction. I 30-34 and others 123 have speculated that the psychotic reaction in some cases may result from an autoimmune reaction directed against