Borna Disease Virus--reactive antibodies in Polish psychiatric patients.
BACKGROUND
It has been proposed that the Borna Disease Virus (BDV) plays a role in the etiopathogenesis of psychiatric disorders. We assessed BDV seropositivity in Polish psychiatric patients and healthy controls, and the relationship between seropositivity and selected diagnostic and clinical variables.


METHODS
Serum samples from 946 psychiatric patients with different diagnoses (ICD-10) and 407 psychiatrically healthy controls were assayed. The ECLIA method was used, which enables the assessment of two anti-BDV antibodies: anti-p24 and anti p-40. Data were also collected on diagnosis, age, age at onset, and place of residence.


RESULTS
Only anti-p24 antibodies were found. The seropositivity rates were: 2.4% and 1.0%, respectively, in patients and controls (p=0.1). A significant difference between patients and controls was observed in mental retardation and affective-anxiety spectrum disorders. Seropositivity did not show any association with demographic variables, but it was elevated in patients with recent onset of disease vs. remote onset of disease (10.2% vs. 1.6%; p=0.0003).


CONCLUSIONS
Significantly higher anti-BDV seropositivity was found in Polish psychiatric patients with affective-anxiety spectrum disorders and mental retardation than in controls. The association between recent onset disorders and higher anti-BDV response, in the light of recent reports on circulating immune complexes of BDV antigens and antibodies, warrants further studies on the longitudinal course of humoral response to BDV.
Rybakowski
Filip
F
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University, Poznań, Poland. filrybak@polbox.com
Sawada
Takashi
T
Yamaguchi
Kazunari
K
Rajewski
Andrzej
A
Rybakowski
Janusz
J
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D001891:Borna disease virus / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*
D014764:Viral Proteins; C084757:p24 protein, Borna disease virus