Is the identification of antibodies against the nervous tissue an indicator of brain injury

: Using a modification of the ELISA method, auto-antibodies against the own nervous tissue have been identified in the serum of laboratory rats. The prevalence of the IgM class of antibodies suggests their physiological significance. Antibody levels are higher in females than in males. Brain hypoxic injury brings about a shift in the spectrum of antibodies towards the IgG class. It may thus serve as an indicator of brain impairment caused by a lack of oxygen.