The use of antibody D8/17 to identify B cells in adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder

Compared with healthy control subjects, individuals with childhood-onset obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have been reported to have a higher percentage of B cells that react with the monoclonal antibody D8/17, a marker for rheumatic fever. This study sought to replicate these findings in adults with OCD. Double-blind analyses of blood samples from 29 consecutive adults with primary OCD and 26 healthy control subjects were conducted to determine the percentage of B cells identified by D8/17. Using a standard criterion of > or =12% labeled B cells to denote positivity, rates of D8/17 positive individuals did not significantly differ between the OCD (58.6%) and control (42.3%) groups. Early age of onset was not a predictor of D8/17 positivity in the OCD group. The percentage of B cells identified by the monoclonal antibody marker D8/17 did not distinguish adults with OCD from control subjects, nor did it distinguish a sub-group of adults with OCD who described pre-pubertal onset of their OCD symptoms.