Herpes Virus May Cause More Susceptibility to Alzheimer’s

January 27th, 2007

Researchers are trying to determine whether the virus that causes cold sores can somehow play a role in bringing on Alzheimer’s disease in later years. A study published recently in the journal Neurobiology of Aging is looking at interaction between the ApoE-4 gene and herpes as a risk factor for the brain-robbing disease.

According to one researcher at the University of Manchester, Alzheimer’s patients who have the ApoE-4 form of the gene contain more herpes DNA in brain regions than others without that version of the gene. The team found that the herpes virus infiltrates brain cells and is associated with cellular tangles and amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s patients.

The oral herpes virus (herpes simplex 1), known to infect 80% of Americans, hides in the body’s nerves in its predominately latent phase. An outbreak is rarely triggered by factors such as stress, fatigue, or sunlight. HPV1 then becomes active, damaging cells and causing cold sores.

Scientists have long known that the ApoE-4 gene is a player in Alzheimer’s, but the idea that it can work in concert with the herpes virus is new. A group at the University of Rochester Medical Center recently found that this particular gene causes a fertile environment for herpes in the brain.

One theory is that the body’s immune response against herpes somehow damages the brain. The damage can be worse in those with the ApoE-4 copy of the gene than in those with another form of the gene, such as ApoE-2 or ApoE-3. No research is conclusive at this point.

In 2006, the Manchester research team published a study that showed inflammation to be the earliest change detected in a brain affected by Alzheimer’s disease, before the hallmark plaques or tangles appear and long before any behavioral changes are seen. Such inflammation can be a byproduct of the body’s immune system fighting an infection.

Much research is being conducted in the field of Alzheimer’s Disease. It is hoped that one day it may be prevented, especially if treatment begins in the early stages before symptoms become obvious.

Source:  Medical News TODAY 

Entry Filed under: Alzheimer's,COGNITIVE DISORDERS,HPV,SENIORS HEALTH