title: Borna Disease Virus--reactive antibodies in Polish psychiatric patients.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University, Poznań, Poland. filrybak@polbox.com
authors.forename: Filip
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rybakowski
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sawada
authors.forename: Kazunari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rajewski
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rybakowski
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins; C084757:p24 protein, Borna disease virus