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Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Search for Viral Nucleic Acid Sequences in Schizophrenia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

A. M. Sierra-Honigmann ,
K. M. Carbone  and
R. H. Yolken
A. M. Sierra-Honigmann*
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine
K. M. Carbone
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine
R. H. Yolken
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore
*
Dr A. M. Sierra-Honigmann, The Johns Hopkins University, Blalock 1111, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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Abstract

Background

Previous studies looking for evidence of viral infection in schizophrenics have yielded conflicting results. We searched for viral nucleic acids to test the hypothesis of the viral aetiology of schizophrenia.

Method

We used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to search for cytomegalovirus (CMV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), influenza A, Borna disease virus (BDV), and bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) in: hippocampus from three schizophrenic and three non-schizophrenic subjects; cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 48 schizophrenic patients; CSF and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from nine sets of identical twins discordant for schizophrenia; and SK-N-SHEP cells co-cultured with schizophrenic and non-schizophrenic brain homogenates. All patients met DSM–III–R criteria.

Results

Virus-specific nucleic acids were not found in any of the samples tested.

Conclusions

The absence of viral nucleic acids in the samples tested suggest that, in these patients, schizophrenia is not associated with a persistent or latent infection due to these viruses.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 166 , Issue 1 , January 1995 , pp. 55 - 60
Copyright
Copyright © 1995 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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