Anti-NMDA receptor antibodies in patients with a first episode of schizophrenia

BACKGROUND: Encephalitis with antibodies against N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA-R) is classified as an autoimmune disorder with psychotic symptoms, which are frequently dominant. However, it remains unclear how frequently NMDA-R antibodies lead to a condition that mimics psychosis and first-episode schizophrenia. In our work, we investigated the presence of antibodies against NMDA-R in patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) in comparison with healthy volunteers. METHODS: This study included 50 antipsychotic-naïve patients with FEP (including 21 women) and 50 healthy volunteers (including 21 women). The mean age of the patients was 27.4 (±7.4) years and that of the healthy controls was 27.0 (±7.3) years. Antibodies against NMDA-R in the serum were detected by immunofluorescence. RESULTS: None of the investigated patients with an FEP and none of the healthy controls showed positive antibodies against NMDA-Rs. CONCLUSION: According to results of studies, a small proportion of patients with an FEP possess antibodies against NMDA-R. However, the extent to which this finding contributes to the etiopathogenesis of the response to antipsychotic medication and whether immunomodulatory therapy is indicated in these cases remains uncertain.