[MRI-parameters of frontal lobes in schizophrenia: correlations with the level of autoantibodies to nerve growth factor in the blood serum].

The relationship between MRI-parameters of frontal lobes and levels of autoantibodies to nerve growth factor (Aab-NGF) in the blood serum of patients with schizophrenia and their relatives was studied. The negative correlation between the Aab-NGF level and the total volume of frontal lobes (r= -0,59; p<0,01) was found in the group of patients. No significant correlations were found in the control groups of healthy subjects without family history of schizophrenia and relatives of patients. The authors concede that Aab-NGF may play a substantial role in the development of neuromorphological changes in schizophrenia.

[A state of innate and adaptive immunity in children with schizophrenia and in the high-risk group for the disease].

Leukocyte elastase (LE) activity, alpha1-proteinase inhibitor (alpha1-PI), C-reactive protein (CRP) as the indices of innate immunity and the level of autoantibodies to nerve growth factor (Aab-NGF) and to basic myelin protein (Aab-BMP) as the indices of adaptive immunity have been studied in the blood serum of 40 children at high risk for schizophrenia and in 32 children with schizophrenia. In the high-risk group, an increase both of the LE activity, CRP content and variance of alpha1-PI concentrations, indicating the activation of innate immunity, was found. LE activity correlated with severity of schizotypal diathesis. The development of schizophrenic process is accompanied by generalization of the immune response: along with activation of the innate immunity, there was activation of immunity acquired as an increase of the level of autoantibodies to neuroantigenes. It is suggested that activation of innate and adaptive immunity is related to the processes determining the disturbances of the nervous system development.

[Relation between immunological and neurophysiologic markers during exacerbation of schizophrenic process].

Relation between leukocyte elastase (LE) activity of peripheral blood and temporal parameters of late cognitive component of event-related potentials (ERP) was studied in 36 patients with different types of schizophrenia and 28 healthy controls. Both P300 latency and amplitude correlated with LE activity in patients, but not in controls. The results suggest a relationship between innate immunity activation and pathophysiologic processes underlying cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. Possible mechanisms of the correlations revealed are analyzed.

[Markers of endothelial dysfunction in attack-like schizophrenia].

The activity of leukocyte elastase (LE) and two markers for vascular endothelial cells (EC) dysfunction/lesion--von Willebrand factor (WF) and C-reactive protein (C-RP)--was determined in the blood plasma of 22 male patients, aged 23.7 +/- 5.5 years with attack-like schizophrenia (ALS) and 24 matched controls. A significant increase of WF, C-RP and LE was found in the patients compared to controls indicating EC dysfunction and/or lesion in ALS schizophrenia. Positive correlations between LE activity and WF concentrations as well as between WF and severity of clinical symptoms in ALS patients imply a vascular layer lesion of the blood-brain barrier.

Effect of antibodies to nerve growth factor and serum albumin on the development and behavior of mice.

We studied physical development, behavioral characteristics, and learning capacity in the offspring of mice immunized with nerve growth factor and bovine serum albumin. High titer of antibodies to these factors in the blood of pregnant females determines high levels of these antibodies in the blood of their pups. These changes modulate physical development, behavior, and learning capacity of rat pups. The effects of these antibodies differed in the strength and directionality. Antibodies to nerve growth factor more markedly retarded physical development, reduced learning capacity, and considerably increased pain thresholds in animals.

[A comparison of some indices of innate and adaptive immunity in different types of schizophrenia]. / Sopostavlenie nekotorykh pokazatelei vrozhdennogo i priobretennogo immuniteta pri raznykh formakh techeniia shizofrenii.

Leukocyte elastase (LE) blood serum activity as an index of innate immunity and autoimmune reactions to brain antigens i.e. a level of autoantiboies to nerve growth factor (NGF) as an index of adaptive immunity were studied in patients with attack-like and slow progressive schizophrenia. Compared to controls, higher LE activity accompanied by a significant increase of autoantibodies to NGF titers was found in patients with attack-like schizophrenia. In slow progressive schizophrenia, only higher LE activity was detected. Correlations between immunological parameters and some clinical appearances (positive and negative disorders) and disease course peculiarities were revealed. The results suggest an involvement of different parts of immune system in pathophysiology of attack-like and slow progressive schizophrenia.

[Immune status in children with psychomotor development disturbances]. / Immunnyi status detei s narusheniiami psikhomotornogo razvitiia.

Leukocyte elastase (LE) activity and autoantibodies to nerve growth factor (NGF) level as indexes of innate and adaptive immunity have been studied in children with psychomotor development disturbances of cerebral organic origin. LE activity was elevated in mild and moderate degrees of psychomotor disturbances caused by perinatal encephalopathy. In psychomotor disturbances of cerebral organic origin, higher LE activity was accompanied by a significant increase of autoantibodies to NGF titers. Correlations between immunological parameters and some clinical symptoms were found. The results obtained suggest involvement of innate and adaptive immune system links in pathophysiology of psychomotor development disturbances in children.

[Laser spatial scanning in flow cytometry]. / Lazernoe prostranstvennoe skanirovanie v protochnoi tsitometrii.

The main flow laser cytometry principles, based on the elastic light scattering, spheres of its applications, problems of its realization and utilization in the immunological investigations and diagnostics are analysed. The experimental model of a flow cytometer with laser probing beam space scanning, originally proposed by the authors, is described. The apparatus was tested by polystyrene latex spheres and biological objects. The experiments showed that the achieved sensitivity was enough to register red blood cells, their complexes and bacterial cells.

[Activation of kallikrein-kinin system, degranulating activity of neutrophils and blood-brain barrier in schizophrenia]. / Aktivatsiia kallikrein-kininovoi sistemy, degranuliatsionnaia aktivnost' neitrofilov i gematoéntsefalicheskii bar'er pri shizofrenii.

To evaluate permeability of blood-brain barrier (BBB) some immunological and biochemical indices were used. The levels of the activity of serum kallikrein-kinin system (KKS), compliment system, C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration, blood inhibitory potential, metabolic and degranulating activities of neutrophils, as well as functional activity of leukocytic elastase were investigated in 30 patients. Acute schizophrenic attack was accompanied by both activation of KKS and by the increase of functional activity of alfa-1-proteinase inhibitor. The increase of CRP levels, high hemolytic activity of complement as well as considerable degranulating activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes may be the causes of the damage of BBB permeability during acute schizophrenic attack.