Inflammatory and autoimmune reactions in different forms of nervous system functioning disorders

Abstract

Parameters of innate (the leukocyte elastase (LE) and alpha1-proteinase inhibitor (a-1-PI) activity) and adaptive immunity (the level of autoantibodies to neuroantigens nerve growth factor (NGF) and myelin basic protein (MPB)) were studied over time in the blood serum of 107 children with perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy; 188 children with autism spectrum disorder; 108 patients with schizophrenia. The correlations between immunological parameters and clinical status assessment in all groups of patients using psychometric scales were analyzed. The involvement of innate immunity, i.e. inflammatory reactions, in pathogenesis of all analyzed forms of nervous system functioning disorders was confirmed. The activation of adaptive immunity, i.e. autoimmune reactions, was found only in the group of patients with the most severe forms of nervous system functioning endogenous disorders. The results indicate that the inflammatory and autoimmune reactions are general pathogenic mechanism of all studied forms of nervous system functioning disorders.