Schizophrenia and the immune system

[Leslie Kay]

In article <1993Jan9.162914.11756 at news.acns.nwu.edu> mitchm at casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Mitchell Maltenfort) writes:
>
>	I was recently watching a PBS "Frontline" on schizophrenia, and was
>struck by an idea when it was mentioned that schizophrenics have certain
>white blood cell abnormalities.  Is it possible that schizophrenia is an
>autoimmune disease?
>
>	There is some precedent for this: myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune
>disease in which the immune system targets the neurotransmitters that activate
>muscle.  Might schizophrenia be the result of the immune system interfering
>with the brain functions? 

I don't know about the possibility of it being an autoimmune disease, but
I have read a couple of papers/communications about the possibility of
Schizophrenia and Alzheimer's (in different papers) being slow acting
virus entering the brain through the olfactory receptors.

Unfortunately I don't have the paper here, and I don't remember the
author(s), but I can find out if anyone is interested.

Leslie Kay