[Autoantibodies to the nerve growth factor in disorders in the mental development of young children].

80 children aged 1-3 years were examined. They were divided into 3 groups by the degree and structure of disorders of mental development: children with predominant delay of speech development (group 1); with a delay of psychic development due to organic damage of CNS (group 2); with deviation of psychic development and the most pronounced psychopathologic symptomatology (group 3). There was a significant (p < 0.001) elevation in the blood level of autoantibodies to nerve growth factor (NGF) in children from all groups as compared with control one (0.75 +/- 0.24 OD units). The level of such autoantibodies also increased during transition from the 1st to the 3d group (0.95 +/- 0.24 in group 1; 1.13 +/- 0.27 in group 2; 1.24 +/- 0.4 in group 3). The correlations allow us to suppose that the level of autoantibodies to NGF might be considered, together with some other signs, as a potential molecular marker indicating a disorder in the development of nervous system.