title: Relationship between herpes simplex virus-1-specific antibody titers and cortical brain damage in Alzheimer's disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment.
abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial disease with a still barely understood etiology. Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) has long been suspected to play a role in the pathogenesis of AD because of its neurotropism, high rate of infection in the general population, and life-long persistence in neuronal cells, particularly in the same brain regions that are usually altered in AD. The goal of this study was to evaluate HSV-1-specific humoral immune responses in patients with a diagnosis of either AD or amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and to verify the possible relation between HSV-1-specific antibody (Ab) titers and cortical damage; results were compared to those obtained in a group of healthy controls (HC). HSV-1 serum IgG titers were measured in 225 subjects (83 AD, 68 aMCI, and 74 HC). HSV-specific Ab avidity and cortical gray matter volumes analyzed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were evaluated as well in a subgroup of these individuals (44 AD, 23 aMCI, and 26 HC). Results showed that, whereas HSV-1 seroprevalence and IgG avidity were comparable in the three groups, increased Ab titers (p < 0.001) were detected in AD and aMCI compared to HC. Positive significant correlations were detected in AD patients alone between HSV-1 IgG titers and cortical volumes in orbitofrontal (region of interest, ROI1 RSp0.56; p = 0.0001) and bilateral temporal cortices (ROI2 RSp0.57; p < 0.0001; ROI3 RSp0.48; p = 0.001); no correlations could be detected between IgG avidity and MRI parameters. Results herein suggest that a strong HSV-1-specific humoral response could be protective toward AD-associated cortical damage.
authors.affiliation: IRCCS, Don C. Gnocchi Foundation - ONLUS Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mancuso
authors.affiliation: IRCCS, Don C. Gnocchi Foundation - ONLUS Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baglio
authors.affiliation: IRCCS, Don C. Gnocchi Foundation - ONLUS Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Agostini
authors.affiliation: IRCCS, Don C. Gnocchi Foundation - ONLUS Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Monia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cabinio
authors.affiliation: IRCCS, Don C. Gnocchi Foundation - ONLUS Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Laganà
authors.affiliation: IRCCS, Don C. Gnocchi Foundation - ONLUS Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Ambra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hernis
authors.affiliation: IRCCS, Don C. Gnocchi Foundation - ONLUS Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicolò
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Margaritella
authors.affiliation: IRCCS, Don C. Gnocchi Foundation - ONLUS Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Franca R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Guerini
authors.affiliation: IRCCS, Don C. Gnocchi Foundation - ONLUS Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zanzottera
authors.affiliation: IRCCS, Don C. Gnocchi Foundation - ONLUS Milan, Italy ; Università degli Studi di Milano Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaello
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nemni
authors.affiliation: IRCCS, Don C. Gnocchi Foundation - ONLUS Milan, Italy ; Università degli Studi di Milano Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clerici
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease (AD); HSV-1; HSV-1 IgG; amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI); magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); voxel based morphometry (VBM)