Prevalence of human herpesvirus 8 in schizophrenia patients and blood donors: A single-center study

Human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) causes lymphoproliferative diseases, but recent studies suggest it may also be linked to neuropsychiatric disorders. This study aimed to determine HHV-8 IgG seroprevalence in individuals with schizophrenia and blood donors, as well as to evaluate whether HHV-8 constitutes a risk factor for schizophrenia. A total of 135 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia based on DSM-V criteria and 200 healthy blood donors were included. HHV-8 IgG antibodies were analyzed using ELISA, and molecular detection of HHV-8 DNA was performed by real-time PCR. The seropositivity rates between the groups were statistically compared. HHV-8 IgG positivity was detected in 6.7% of schizophrenia patients (9/135, CI: 3.1-12.3) and 5.0% of blood donors (10/200, CI: 2.4-9.0) (p=0.518). HHV-8 DNA was not detected in any of the serum samples that tested positive for HHV-8 IgG. No statistically significant association was observed between HHV-8 seropositivity and schizophrenia (OR=1.36; 95% CI: 0.53-3.43; p=0.519). Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) total scores were similar between IgG-positive (median 27, IQR 17-42; mean 47.0±13.3) and IgG-negative patients (median 26, IQR 20-34; mean 45.0±10.8) (p=0.678). Although some BPRS parameters appeared higher in IgG-positive patients, none were statistically significant after multiple testing correction. In this study, HHV-8 IgG seroprevalence was similar between schizophrenia patients and blood donors, and no statistically significant association was observed between HHV-8 seropositivity and schizophrenia. To enhance the generalizability of the findings, larger studies with increased sample size, as well as comparative, regional, and multicenter designs, are needed.