Unveiling the Interplay of EBV, HSV-1, and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Psychiatric Disorders


Akgul O., DEMİREL Ö. F., Tosun I., KAVLA Y., KIRPINAR M. M., Sapmaz B., ...Daha Fazla

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE, cilt.14, sa.19, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 14 Sayı: 19
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.3390/jcm14196730
  • Dergi Adı: JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, EMBASE
  • İstanbul Üniversitesi-Cerrahpaşa Adresli: Hayır

Özet

Background/Objectives: Schizophrenia (SCH), bipolar disorder (BPD), and major depressive disorder (MDD) are increasingly viewed as neuroimmune disorders shaped by viral exposure and inflammation. Disorder-specific immunovirological profiles, however, remain poorly defined. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we assessed Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1) seropositivity and measured serum CRP, IL-6, and IL-1 beta in 708 participants: 110 with SCH, 121 with BPD, 135 with MDD, and 342 healthy controls (HC). Statistical analyses included Shapiro-Wilk tests for normality; Kruskal-Wallis with Bonferroni-adjusted Dunn post hoc comparisons; and logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, and marital status. Results: EBV seropositivity was higher in SCH (90.9%) than in HC (78.9%) (OR = 3.46, 95% CI: 1.68-7.12; p = 0.001) but not in BPD or MDD. HSV-1 seropositivity was elevated in BPD (83.5%) versus HC (67.0%) (OR = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.34-3.92; p = 0.003), with no differences in SCH or MDD. Inflammatory biomarkers were significantly increased in SCH and MDD compared to HC (p < 0.001), while BPD showed no differences. Conclusions: The findings delineate distinct immunovirological patterns across major psychiatric disorders. Schizophrenia was characterized by EBV seropositivity accompanied by systemic inflammatory activation, bipolar disorder by HSV-1 seropositivity in the absence of inflammatory changes, and major depressive disorder by inflammatory dysregulation independent of viral exposure. These disorder-specific profiles highlight heterogeneity in neuroimmune pathways and underscore the potential relevance of biomarker-based stratification for generating hypotheses regarding targeted antiviral or anti-inflammatory interventions in psychiatric populations.