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Microbial Infections

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Introduction The hypothesis about microbial infections as origin of mental disorders has long been discussed and recently been enhanced in case of the pathogenesis of schizophrenia (Krause, et al. 2010). It is known that environmental factors and genetic predisposition contribute to such disease episodes (Gershon, et al. 1987; Tsuang, et al. 2001). Borna disease virus (BDV) might represent such a cofactor (Bode 1995; Bode, et al. 1995). This virus has been found worldwide and has been discussed to be occasionally zoonotic (Bode and Ludwig 2003; Ludwig and Bode 2000; Richt and Rott 2001). It is non-cytolytic, causing persistent infections, with predilection sides in old brain areas (limbic system); it replicates in the nucleus of (preferentially) neurons and infects a variety of animal species (Liu, et al. 2014; Ludwig, et al. 1988). The virus has a single-stranded, non-segmented genome (less than 10kb) and is of negative polarity. A new family Bornaviridae within the order Mononegavirales has been created (De La Torre, et al. 1996; Mazaheri-Tehrani, et al. 2014; Sauder, et al. 1996; Zocher, et al. 2000). Recently, the finding of endogenous Borna-like N protein elements (EBLNs) pointed to its ancient existence (Belyi, …show more content…

Gaziano 2011). No information on BDV infections exists in East European countries by the use of these sensitive test systems. The aim of the following study was to test Lithuanian in-patients with primary psychosis upon their admission to the mental hospital for BDV parameters (CIC and Ag), and to compare the data with those of blood donors regarded as controls. Furthermore, to evaluate whether psychiatric symptoms among in-patients would correlate with BDV-specific CIC and Ag in comparison to those without such

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