Elevated serum immunoreactivity to S-100 protein in healthy mothers and their sick children: Possible significance in inborn psychoneuropathology

Autoantibodies to S-100 brain protein were detected and their activity studied in the blood serum of children with cerebral palsy and oligophrenia as well as of their clinically healthy parents. Increased serum anti-S-100 titers were detected in more than 80% of both the sick children and their clinically healthy mothers but not in their fathers. The data support the hypothesis of vertical epigenetic transfer of the humoral immune profile (epigenetic 'imprinting'). It is suggested that this mechanism plays an important role in the inborn (prenatal) malformations of the human nervous system.