Fluorescent antibody studies of immunoglobulin binding by brain tissues. Demonstration of cytoplasmic fluorescence by direct and indirect testing in schizophrenic and nonschizophrenic subjects.

Abstract

By direct and indirect immunofluorescent techniques, we tested varying numbers of brain tissues obtained at autopsy from nonpsychiatric as well as schizophrenic patients. We did not find evidence by direct or indirect techniques of attachment of immunoglobulins to nuclei of brain tissue that is specific for either sera or brain of individuals with schizophrenia. Cytoplasm of brain cells showed fluorescence, after staining with tagged antibodies to human immunoglobulins, in a high proportion of brains obtained at autopsy both from psychotic and nonpsychotic patients. We do not know whether the apparent attachment of immunoglobulins to brain cell cytoplasm represents in vivo or postmortem transfer of immunoglobulins from within the blood vessels or, less likely, the in vivo local production of immunoglobulins or other proteins with similar antigenic sites.