Autoantibodies against human brain S-100 protein and neuron specific enolase in neurological and psychiatric patients

Abstract

This report deals with the incidence and distribution of autoantibodies against well-defined human brain antigens S-100 and NSE in the development of neurologic and psychiatric syndromes. Serum samples from patients and controls were examined by means of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the presence of autoantibodies against human S-100 protein and NSE. The highest incidence of anti-S-100 and anti-NSE antibodies was in Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia, and the lowest in schizophrenia and alcoholic syndrome. The frequency of anti-S-100 autoantibodies was higher than that of anti-NSE. In healthy individuals the incidence of antibrain antibodies was low. These results suggest the involvement of human autoimmune mechanism in the development of certain neuropsychiatric diseases.