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Incidence of anti-brain antibodies in children with obsessive-compulsive disorder

Russell C Dale1, Isobel Heyman, Gavin Giovannoni

  • 1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, PO Box 085, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK.

The British Journal of Psychiatry : the Journal of Mental Science
|October 4, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Children with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) show elevated anti-basal ganglia antibodies (ABGA), suggesting a link to post-streptococcal autoimmunity. This supports autoimmunity as a potential cause in some OCD cases.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Immunology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) shares symptoms with post-streptococcal disorders like Sydenham's chorea and PANDAS.
  • Anti-basal ganglia antibodies (ABGA) are implicated as potential mediators in these conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of post-streptococcal autoimmunity in idiopathic OCD.
  • To test the hypothesis that ABGA may be involved in the development of OCD.

Main Methods:

  • Examined 50 children diagnosed with OCD for the presence of ABGA.
  • Utilized enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western immunoblotting techniques.
  • Compared findings with autoimmune, neurological, and streptococcal control groups.

Main Results:

  • ELISA showed significantly elevated mean ABGA binding in OCD patients compared to all control groups (P<0.005).
  • Western immunoblotting detected positive antibody binding in 42% of OCD patients, versus 2-10% in controls (P<0.001).
  • Antibody binding patterns in OCD patients resembled those seen in Sydenham's chorea.

Conclusions:

  • Findings suggest that central nervous system autoimmunity may contribute to a significant subset of OCD cases.
  • Further research is warranted to determine if these antibodies are pathogenic in OCD.
  • The study supports a potential autoimmune mechanism underlying some pediatric OCD presentations.
Abstract

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