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Serum and cerebrospinal fluid antibodies to cytomegalovirus in schizophrenia
Author(s) -
Rimón R.,
Ahokas A.,
Palo J.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1986.tb02737.x
Subject(s) - cerebrospinal fluid , cytomegalovirus , antibody , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , immunoassay , immunology , medicine , virus , pathology , herpesviridae , viral disease , psychiatry
Antibodies to cytomegalovirus (CMV) were determined in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by complement‐fixing (CF), enzyme immunoassay (EIA), and enhanced virus neutralization test (EVNT), in acute unmedicated schizophrenic patients and neurological controls. An elevated level of CF antibody was observed in three serum specimens from the schizophrenic patients and in one control specimen. No CF antibody was present in the CSF samples of the two patient groups tested. By EIA none of the serum or CSF specimens was positive for IgM antibody to CMV. By EVNT, 17% of the schizophrenic patients exhibited a CSF/serum ratio > 2 SD, whereas the corresponding figure for the control group was 4% (P > 0.05). The role of CMV in the etiopathogenesis of schizophrenia is discussed in the light of the present and previous negative findings.