Activated Borna disease virus in affective disorders

Area of Science:

• Neurovirology
• Psychiatry
• Immunology

Background:

• Borna disease virus (BDV) is an animal pathogen linked to behavioral changes.
• Previous research indicated a high prevalence of BDV antibodies, antigens (BDVAGs), and RNA in psychiatric patients, especially those with affective disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To further characterize the Borna disease virus antigen (BDVAG) cohort in psychiatric patients using clinical parameters.
• To investigate the association between BDVAG and clinical features in major depressive episodes.

Main Methods:

• Examined the prevalence of BDVAG in peripheral mononuclear leukocytes of patients experiencing a major depressive episode.
• Conducted further clinical analysis on a subgroup of these patients.

Main Results:

• A significant difference in BDVAG prevalence was observed between psychiatric inpatients with major depressive episodes and control individuals.
• BDVAG was more frequent in patients with recurrent major depression or bipolar disorder compared to other psychiatric disorders.
• Increased BDVAG was positively correlated with the number of previous depressive episodes and symptoms of fatigue and concentration difficulties.

Conclusions:

• The elevated BDVAG rate, particularly in fatigued patients with recurrent major depression or bipolar disorder, might indicate a non-specific immunosuppressive effect.
• The potential role of this neurotropic virus in the pathogenesis of certain affective disorders warrants further investigation.