Research view
Title: | Early-onset versus late-onset obsessive–compulsive disorder: an immunological comparative study |
Author: | Sahar El Emam Gad , Wafaa Mohamed El Emshaty , Hanan El-sayed Hussein , Osama Ahmed El-Boraie , Mohammed Ali Ezzat El-Hadid |
Abstract: |
Objectives
This study was conducted to investigate the possible role of streptococcal infection
in obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and to clarify whether the age of onset
could affect its clinical presentation and immunological results.
Participants and methods
The study was carried on 96 participants. They were divided into 46 OCD patients
with a mean age of 30.76 years and 50 healthy controls with a mean age of 28.94
years. The patients group was subdivided according to the age of onset into the
early-onset group include 21 patients with onset age of 18 years or less and the lateonset
group include 25 patients with onset age above 18 years. All participants were
subjected to psychometric and serological assessments of serum antibasal ganglia
autoantibodies (ABGA) and antistreptolysin O titer (ASOT).
Results
Rates of ABGA positivity were 26.1% in the OCD group compared with 30% in the
control group, with no significant difference (P=0.670). ASOT positivity were 6.5%
in the OCD group, whereas none of the controls had positive ASOT (P=0.160).
Positivity for ASOT and ABGA was not associated with the age of onset as 95.2 and
71.4% of the early-onset group had positive ASOT and ABGA results against 92
and 76% in the late-onset group, respectively, with no significant differences
(P≥0.05) or clinical variables. Positivity for ASOT was not associated with
ABGA positivity.
Conclusion
The negative results of this study do not exclude the role of autoimmunity in OCD
pathogenesis. Further investigations are needed to establish this role.
Keywords:
antibasal ganglia autoantibodies, antistreptolysin O titer, early onset, late onset,
obsessive–compulsive disorder, streptococcal infection
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Journal: | Egyptian Journal of Psychiatry 2017, 38:41–48 |
Text: | |
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