Titers of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Antibodies Positively Correlate with Grey Matter Volumes in Alzheimer's Disease

Article type: Short Communication

Authors: Mancuso, Roberta^{a; 1} | Baglio, Francesca^{a; 1} | Cabinio, Monia^{a; b} | Calabrese, Elena^a | Hernis, Ambra^a | Nemni, Raffaello^{a; b} | Clerici, Mario^{a; b; *}

Affiliations: [a] Don Carlo Gnocchi Foundation, IRCCS, Milano, Italy | [b] Department of Physiopathology and Transplantation, University of Milano, Milano, Italy

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Professor Mario Clerici M.D., Don C. Gnocchi Foundation ONLUS, Pzza Morandi, 3, 20100 Milano, Italy. Tel.: +39 02 50330412; Fax: +39 02 50330414; E-mail: [email protected].

Note: [1] These authors contributed equally to the manuscript.

Abstract: HSV-1 infection of the central nervous system targets the same brain regions most affected in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and could play a pathogenic role in AD. HSV-1 serum IgG titers were analyzed in patients with mild AD (n = 83) and healthy controls (HC, n = 51); results were correlated with cortical grey matter (GM) volumes as analyzed by MRI. Seroprevalence and antibody (Ab) titers were comparable between AD and HC; elevated Ab titers (>75th percentile) were nevertheless significantly more frequent in AD and were positively correlated with cortical bilateral temporal and orbitofrontal GM volumes. HSV-1-specific-Ab could possibly play a protective role in the early stages of AD.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, HSV-1, humoral immunity, magnetic resonance imaging

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-130977

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 741-745, 2014