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BMC Psychiatry
Published in: BMC Psychiatry 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Case report

A case of GABAR antibodies in schizophrenia

Authors: Ida S. Haussleiter, Klaus-Peter Wandinger, Georg Juckel

Published in: BMC Psychiatry | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

Background

In the last couple of years, schizophrenia was often discussed as autoimmune disease. Several antibodies were suspected, but so far there has been no proof of Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor antibodies in patients with schizophrenia.

Case presentation

In this case report we present a 21-year old woman with schizophrenic symptoms, who showed anti-GABAB1 antibodies when screened by a vast recombinant neurology mosaic on Human Embryonic Kidney Cells 293 (HEK293) cells. The young woman presented with various psychotic symptoms as well as speech and motor ataxia, with the neurological signs starting in childhood.

Conclusion

A hypofunction of the GABAergic system is a possible cause of severe schizophrenic symptoms. Postmortem studies proved this hypothesis by showing dysfunctional GABAergic interneurons in various brain areas. Therefore one should always think of an immune-mediated pathogenesis as well memory impairment and behavioral changes co-occur with frequent seizures.
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Metadata
Title
A case of GABAR antibodies in schizophrenia
Authors
Ida S. Haussleiter
Klaus-Peter Wandinger
Georg Juckel
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Psychiatry / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1471-244X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-016-1157-2

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