Prevalance of Borna Disease Virus (BDV) RNA in the Peripheral Leukocytes of French Subjects: Preliminary Results

DISEASE VIRUS (BDV) RNA

IN THE PERIPHERAL LEUKOCYTES OF FRENCH SUBJECTS:

American and Japanese patients. The presence of BDV in blood

could be associated with psychiatric disorders. The aim of this

study was to determine the prevalence of BDV infection among

four groups of subjects over three years: psychiatric in-patients

admitted for an acute episode of bipolar disorder and non-bipolar

related disorders, immunocompetent persons, immunosuppressed AIDS

patients and patients affected with Lupus Erythematosus, a

dysimmune condition. The virological procedure included

peripheral blood leukocytes isolation (5 to 10×10⁶

cells), RNA extraction, reverse transcription using MuLV-RT and

BDV-specific primers in p24 and p40 genes, followed by a nested

PCR. Complementary molecular hybridization was performed with two

specific biotinylated probes in a liquid phase procedure. This

combined method allows the detection of 1 to 10 C6BV cells among

10 x 10⁶ C6. Positive and negative controls (C6 and

C6BV cells) were kindly provided by Dr. Daniel Gonzalez-Dunia

(Unitédes Virus Lents, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France). Measles

Virus-infected and VSV-infected cells were also used as negative

of 60 AIDS patients (16%). However, RT-PCR assays for BDV p40 and

BDV p24 were positive at the same time in only one patient. For

the nine others, only p40 gene could be detected. Sixteen

patients presenting Lupus Erythematosus were found negative. Ten

do exist in France, especially in immunosuppresed persons.

Additional patients included in this ongoing study should allow

us to determine whether BDV is involved in the onset of bipolar