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.