Anti-NMDA receptor antibodies in patients with a first episode of schizophrenia

作者：Masopust Jiri; Andrys Ctirad; Bazant Jan; Vysata Oldrich; Kuca Kamil; Valis Martin^*

来源：Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 2015, 11: 619-623.

DOI：10.2147/NDT.S80746

• N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor
• NMDA-R
• encephalitis
• schizophrenia

Background: Encephalitis with antibodies against N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA-R) is classified as an autoimmune disorder with psychotic symptoms, which are frequently dominant. However, it remains unclear how frequently NMDA-R antibodies lead to a condition that mimics psychosis and first-episode schizophrenia. In our work, we investigated the presence of antibodies against NMDA-R in patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) in comparison with healthy volunteers.
Methods: This study included 50 antipsychotic-naive patients with FEP (including 21 women) and 50 healthy volunteers (including 21 women). The mean age of the patients was 27.4 (+/- 7.4) years and that of the healthy controls was 27.0 (+/- 7.3) years. Antibodies against NMDA-R in the serum were detected by immunofluorescence.
Results: None of the investigated patients with an FEP and none of the healthy controls showed positive antibodies against NMDA-Rs.
Conclusion: According to results of studies, a small proportion of patients with an FEP possess antibodies against NMDA-R. However, the extent to which this finding contributes to the etiopathogenesis of the response to antipsychotic medication and whether immunomodulatory therapy is indicated in these cases remains uncertain.

• 出版日期2015