Borna disease virus-specific circulating immune complexes, antigenemia, and free antibodies—the key marker triplet determining infection and prevailing in severe mood disorders

Abstract

Borna disease virus (BDV),

Borna Disease Virus and Psychiatric Disorders: Can Viruses Influence Psychiatric Disorders?

“…The detection of BDV CIC by ELISA has shown a 10-fold higher incidence of BDV infection than was estimated for BDV Ab positivity by the immunofluorescence method in psychiatric patients with affective disorders. The rates of positivity of BDV Ab by IFA were 11% and 20% in patients with depression and 2% in blood donors vs. CIC positivity of 62%, 52% and 24% in the same groups (Bode et al, 2001). Similar results were reported by Bode and colleagues in 1994, where BDV Ab positivity was detected in 20% of psychiatric patients compared to the higher positivity of BDV Ag in 40-50% of the same psychiatric patients (Bode et al, 1994).…”

“…Bode and colleagues developed an ELISA (triple ELISA) method that mainly detects BDV CIC but also free BDV antigens and antibodies (Bode et al, 2001). Several authors used the detection of viral RNA in PBMCs (peripheral blood mononuclear cells) in brain tissue via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the diagnosis of BDV infection.…”

“…The second reason is because the absence of BDV RNA in samples does not exclude the possibility of BDV infection, since RNA detection is less reliable than the detection of other virus particles (Ag or CIC) because of the low replication rate of this virus and the small amount of RNA in PBMCs. Also, the presence of BDV RNA in the brain does not necessarily reflect an active state of BDV infection (Bode et al, 2001, Sauder & de la Torre, 1998Thakur et al, 2009;Wolff et al, 2006). Currently, the detection of BDV CIC by ELISA and viral isolation from PBMCs are recommended as the best screening methods of active BDV infection because of their relative stability and frequency.…”

“…Bode and colleagues found significantly higher rates of BDV Ag and CIC positivity (including higher values) in severely depressed patients during an acute crisis and lower rates of BDV Ag and CIC positivity (lower rates and lower amounts of Ag and CIC) in patients with moderate depression. The severity of depressive symptoms correlated with the concentration and duration of antigenaemia (Bode et al, 2001). In study reported by Rackova and colleagues, a significantly higher rate of BDV CIC positivity was found in psychiatric patients with a more severe psychopathology than in patients with a milder symptomatology, as measured by psychiatric scales (Rackova et al, 2009).…”

“…The best indicators (markers) of viral disease are antigen ELISA and CIC ELISA, which also both correlate well with the severity of the BDV infection. The ELISA method for the detection of BDV CIC was developed by Bode and Ludwig (Bode et al, 2001). Table 1 shows a summary of the diagnostic methods.…”