title: Neonatal antibodies to infectious agents and risk of bipolar disorder: a population-based case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is a substantial evidence base linking prenatal exposure to infectious agents and an increased risk of schizophrenia. However, there has been less research examining the potential for these exposures to also contribute to risk for bipolar disorder. The aim of this study was to examine the association between neonatal markers of selected prenatal infections and risk for bipolar disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using population-based Danish registers, we examined 127 individuals with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, and 127 sex and day-of-birth individually matched controls. Based on neonatal dried blood spots, we measured antibodies to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and 2 (HSV-2), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Toxoplasma gondii. Relative risks were calculated for the matched pairs when examined for optical density units for antibodies to each of the infectious agents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no association between any of the neonatal markers of prenatal infection and risk of bipolar disorder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In contrast with studies of schizophrenia, our analysis does not support maternal infection with HSV-1, HSV-2, CMV, or Toxoplasma gondii as risk factors for bipolar disorder. However, larger study samples are needed, and data on, for example, specific serotypes of Toxoplasma and indicators of the timing of maternal infection are still warranted.
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Register-based Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark. pbm@ncrr.dk
authors.forename: Preben Bo
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Mortensen
authors.forename: Carsten Bøcker
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.forename: John Joseph
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: McGrath
authors.forename: David Michael
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Hougaard
authors.forename: Bent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nørgaard-Petersen
authors.forename: Ole
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mors
authors.forename: Anders D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Børglum
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Yolken
mesh_terms: D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000821:virology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018672:Community Health Planning; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000276:immunology; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G