Reactivated herpes simplex infection increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Previous studies have suggested a link between herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 and the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
METHODS:
The present analysis included 3432 persons (53.9% women, mean age at inclusion 62.7 ± 14.4 years) with a mean follow-up time of 11.3 years. The number of incident AD cases was 245. Serum samples were analyzed for anti-HSV antibodies (immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgM) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.
RESULTS:
The presence of anti-HSV IgG antibodies was not associated with an increased risk for AD, controlled for age and sex (hazard ratio, HR, 0.993, P = .979). However, the presence of anti-HSV IgM at baseline was associated with an increased risk of developing AD (HR 1.959, P = .012).
CONCLUSION:
Positivity for anti-HSV IgM, a sign of reactivated infection, was found to almost double the risk for AD, whereas the presence of anti-HSV IgG antibodies did not affect the risk.
Copyright © 2014 The Alzheimer’s Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS:
Alzheimer’s disease; Cohort study; Dementia; HSV; Herpes; Herpes simplex
- PMID:
- 25043910
- [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]
