The Role of Herpes Family Viruses in the Pathogenesis of Paranoid Schizophrenia: the Data of Multidimensional Correlations of Immunological, Morphological and Clinical Characteristics

The majority of current researches of participation of herpes viruses in pathogenesis of schizophrenia are aimed at detection of increased specific antibodies level. Works studying polymodal system connections between antibodies to herpes viruses, other immunity parameters, structural brain changes and psychopathology symptoms in schizophrenia do not occur practically.

The aim was to investigate the systemic relationships present between parameters of the immune system, including the level of serum antibodies to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), structural anomalies of brain and clinical symptoms of schizophrenia.

Material and Methods: The study included data of investigation of 30 patients with episodic paranoid schizophrenia with progressing and stable defect and positive symptoms in remissions (EPSPSD) (main group) and 32 patients with episodic remittent paranoid schizophrenia (ERPS) (controls). We determined the leukocyte content, the lymphocyte subpopulations and the leukocyte phagocytosis in PHAGOTEST with fluorescein (FITC)-labeled opsonized bacteria and calculated the phagocytic index (PhI), the circulating immune complexes (CIC) level by spectrophotometry. The antibodies against herpes viruses were determined using the ELISA test. Total serum immunoglobulins, IgG, IgM, and IgA were determined by immunoturbidimetry. Clinical psychiatric examination, BPRS and MRI examination were used.

Results: MRI-signs of brain structures abnormalities, including hemodynamic disorders and developmental brain anomalies, were identified. Levels of IgG to studied herpes viruses were increased, levels of IgM to all studied herpes viruses differed from 0. The interactions of morphological, clinical and immunological parameters were defined.

Conclusion: These results demonstrate a definite link between herpes infection and the immune, clinical and morphological parameters of patients with the episodic paranoid schizophrenia with progressing and stable defect. The results confirm the infectious theory of the diseases.