[Genetic analysis of antithymocyte activity in schizophrenia].

Immunologic changes in schizophrenic psychoses were examined by different methods of genetic analysis. The cytotoxic test and the method of fluorescent antibodies showed an increase in the antithymocytic activity (ATA) of the blood serum. A high index of the coefficient of a genetic correlation between elevated blood levels of ATA and the genetic component of liability to the disease indicates that genetic factors partially involved in the general structure of hereditary predisposition to schizophrenic psychoses participate in the determination of interindividual differences with regard to blood ATA levels. The data obtained suggest that the observed antithymocytic activity of the blood serum was due to at least 2 types of antibodies with different affinity to thymocytes.