[Autoimmune mechanisms in the genesis of developmental abnormalities of the nervous system]

The level of autoantibodies to nerve growth factor (NGF) was measured in the sera of infants with mental dysontogenesis and of patients with different mental diseases. The findings suggest that the excessive levels of NGF autoantibodies are responsible for nervous malformations that underlie some nervous and mental diseases and that the body has a certain capacity to normalize clinical and immunochemical parameters. A particular pattern of manifestations of these disorders depends on some factors and primarily on genetic predisposition. NGF autoantibody levels are recommended to be estimated during screening of infants to form mental dysontogenesis risk groups.