TY - JOUR
T1 - Herpesviruses and Toxoplasma gondii in orbital frontal cortex of psychiatric patients
AU - Conejero-Goldberg, Concepcion
AU - Torrey, E. Fuller
AU - Yolken, Robert H.
PY - 2003/3/1
Y1 - 2003/3/1
N2 - Herpes simplex virus (HSV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) are viruses capable of establishing latency. All of these infect the CNS and have been detected in human postmortem brains. Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan organism which can reactivate in the brains of previously infected immunocompromised individuals. To screen for the presence of herpesviruses and T. gondii in postmortem orbital frontal brain samples from patients with schizophrenia, affective disorders, and controls, we used nested-polymerase chain reaction (n-PCR)/sequencing. We identified HHV-6B sequences in 2/51 postmortem brain samples but no sequences from other herpesviruses. We did not detect sequences of T. gondii in the postmortem brains. Additional studies including ones directed at the sensitive detection of viral nucleic acids in multiple brain regions should be directed at confirming or excluding a role for viruses and protozoa in the etiology of these disorders.
AB - Herpes simplex virus (HSV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) are viruses capable of establishing latency. All of these infect the CNS and have been detected in human postmortem brains. Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan organism which can reactivate in the brains of previously infected immunocompromised individuals. To screen for the presence of herpesviruses and T. gondii in postmortem orbital frontal brain samples from patients with schizophrenia, affective disorders, and controls, we used nested-polymerase chain reaction (n-PCR)/sequencing. We identified HHV-6B sequences in 2/51 postmortem brain samples but no sequences from other herpesviruses. We did not detect sequences of T. gondii in the postmortem brains. Additional studies including ones directed at the sensitive detection of viral nucleic acids in multiple brain regions should be directed at confirming or excluding a role for viruses and protozoa in the etiology of these disorders.
KW - Herpesvirus
KW - Orbital frontal cortex
KW - PCR
KW - Postmortem
KW - Schizophrenia
KW - Toxoplasma gondii
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0037334173&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0037334173&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0920-9964(02)00160-3
DO - 10.1016/S0920-9964(02)00160-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 12505139
AN - SCOPUS:0037334173
SN - 0920-9964
VL - 60
SP - 65
EP - 69
JO - Schizophrenia Research
JF - Schizophrenia Research
IS - 1
ER -