Antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus, herpes simplex type 1, cytomegalovirus and measles virus in psychiatric patients

Abstract

Distribution of antibodies to herpes simplex type 1 (HSV1), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV) and measles virus (MV) was studied in sera and cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) of 41 patients with schizophrenia, 27 patients with primary affective disorders and 25 control patients with neurological diseases. No significant differences in distribution and mean geometric titers (GMT) of antibodies to HSV1 between the psychiatric and control groups were found. Distribution and GMT of antibodies to EBV were highly significant in psychiatric patients as compared to controls with highest titers in the affective disorder group. Antibodies to HSV1 were present in 15 CSF specimens of psychiatric patients with reduced CSF/serum ratio in 4, and low levels of antibodies were detected in 8 control patients. Antibodies to EBV-VCA were detected in 4 CSFs of psychiatric patients. Total protein levels were determined in CSF specimens and no correlation with antibodies was found. No significant differences in distribution of antibodies to CMV or MV in the three study groups were found. No antibodies to CMV were demonstrated in CSFs and in one specimen from a patient and two controls antibodies to MV were detected.

Meta-Analysis of Infectious Agents and Depression

“…These previous studies, save one18, have shown no conclusive findings3132. In this study, a significant association between HSV-1 infection and depression was found.…”

“…Several studies have focused on the relationship between EBV and depression313637. Amsterdam et al38 showed no association between unrecognized chronic active EBV infection and depression; moreover, Conejero-Goldberg et al23 also failed to demonstrate an association between EBV infection and depression.…”

Brain morphological changes associated with exposure to HSV1 in first-episode schizophrenia

“…We did not observe differences in antibody levels for other Herpes viruses such as HSV2 and CMV between patients and controls in our dataset suggesting that increased antibody ratios in HSV1 may not be nonspecific. Other studies on schizophrenia patients that do not report increased prevalence or elevated antibody levels, 59,60 do not include first-episode medication naive patients. Inclusion of chronically ill individuals could arguably be less sensitive to changes evident at the onset of illness.…”

Altered White Cell Count, Protein Concentration and Oligoclonal IgG Bands in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Many Patients with Acute Psychiatric Disorders

“…For example, acute encephalitis may resemble acute catatonic or paranoid psychosis [1][2][3], and even some severe cases of mania have in fact proved to be caused by infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV), Coxiella burnetii (Q-fever) or influenza vi rus affecting directly or indirectly the central nervous sys tem (CNS) [4][5][6]. Furthermore, there are suggestions pro posing that viruses or virus-like agents may have a signif icant role in the aetiology and pathogenesis of at least some of the so-called functional psychiatric disorders [7][8][9][10].…”