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Evidence for Borna disease virus infection in neuropsychiatric patients in three western China provinces

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Abstract

Borna disease virus (BDV) is a non-cytolytic, neurotropic RNA virus that can infect a wide variety of vertebrate species from birds and primates to humans. Several studies have been carried out to investigate whether BDV is associated with neuropsychiatric diseases. However, this association is still inconclusive. Two panels of subjects consisting of 1,679 various neuropsychiatric patients and healthy people from three western China provinces were enrolled in this study. BDV p24 or p40 RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were detected in the first panel of 1,481 subjects using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from the BDV RNA-positive individuals were subjected to BDV p24 antibodies testing by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). BDV p24 or p40 RNA in PBMCs and p24 antibodies in plasma were detected in the second panel of 198 subjects by RT-qPCR and Western blot. A higher prevalence for BDV RNA was demonstrated in patients with viral encephalitis (6.70 %), Guillain–Barré syndrome (6.70 %), schizophrenia (9.90 %) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) (12.70 %) compared to healthy controls in the first panel. CSF p24 antibodies were demonstrated in three viral encephalitis patients, two schizophrenia patients and two major depressive disorder (MDD) patients. The prevalences of p24 antibodies in plasma from patients with viral encephalitis (13.24 %), multiple sclerosis (25.00 %) and Parkinson’s disease (22.73 %) were significantly higher than healthy controls. This study demonstrates that BDV infection also exists in humans from three western China provinces, and suggests the involvement of the contribution of BDV in the aetiology of Chinese patients with some neuropsychiatric disorders, including viral encephalitis, schizophrenia, CFS, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (Grant No. 2009CB918302) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31160210).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no financial or other conflict of interests.

Author information

Author notes

  1. M.-M. Xu

    Present address: Department of Neurology, Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China

  2. S. Liu

    Present address: Department of Neurology, Central Hospital of Hengyang, Hengyang, China

  3. L.-B. Zhao

    Present address: Department of Neurology, The Third People’s Hospital of Chongqing, Chongqing, China

  4. Q.-L. Zhan

    Present address: Department of Neurology, The Fifth People’s Hospital of Chongqing, Chongqing, China

  5. Y.-Y. Zhang

    Present address: Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Medical College Qingdao University, Qingdao, China

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No. 1 Youyi Road, Yuzhong District, 400016, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China

    L. Zhang, M.-M. Xu, X. Liu, R.-Z. Huang, L.-B. Zhao, Q.-L. Zhan, D. Zhu, Y.-Y. Zhang & P. Xie

  2. Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing, China

    L. Zhang, M.-M. Xu, L. Zeng, X. Liu, X. Wang, D. Li, R.-Z. Huang, L.-B. Zhao, Q.-L. Zhan, D. Zhu, Y.-Y. Zhang & P. Xie

  3. Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China

    L. Zhang, M.-M. Xu, L. Zeng, X. Liu, X. Wang, D. Li, R.-Z. Huang, L.-B. Zhao, Q.-L. Zhan, D. Zhu, Y.-Y. Zhang & P. Xie

  4. Department of Pathology, Faculty of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China

    D. Li

  5. Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical College, Zunyi, Guizhou, China

    S. Liu & P. Xu

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  1. L. Zhang
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Correspondence to P. Xie.

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L. Zhang, M.-M. Xu, L. Zeng and S. Liu contributed equally to this work.

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Zhang, L., Xu, MM., Zeng, L. et al. Evidence for Borna disease virus infection in neuropsychiatric patients in three western China provinces. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 33, 621–627 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-013-1996-4

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