title: Serum antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus in patients with major depressive disorder.
abstract: To determine whether major depressive disorder might be associated with serologic evidence for a chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection, viral-specific antibodies were measured in two separate groups of depressed patients (N=43) and in 46 appropriately matched healthy volunteers. No evidence that depression affects cellular immunity to the point that a persistent Epstein-Barr virus carrier state becomes activated was found. There was also no evidence that depression results from an unrecognized chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection. The authors conclude that the routine clinical determination of expensive commercial Epstein-Barr virus antibody profiles is not indicated in most patients with major depressive disorder in the absence of other signs of chronic active Epstein-Barr viral infection.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral