Faggioli, R., Mazzoni, E., Borgna-Pignatti, C., Corallini, A., Turl?, G., Taronna, A. P., Fiumana, E., Martini, F. and Tognon, M. (2015), Serum antibodies from epileptic patients react, at high prevalence, with simian virus 40 mimotopes. European Journal of Neurology, 22: 789?e52. doi: 10.1111/ene.12652 [h=4]Background and purpose[/h] It has been demonstrated that inflammation may contribute to epileptogenesis and cause neuronal injury in epilepsy. In this study, the prevalence of antibodies to simian virus 40 (SV40), a kidney and neurotropic polyomavirus, was investigated in serum samples from 88 epileptic children/adolescents/young adults.
[h=4]Methods[/h] Serum antibodies reacting to specific SV40 peptides were analysed by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Synthetic peptides corresponding to the epitopes of viral capsid proteins 1?3 were used as SV40 antigens.
[h=4]Results[/h] A significantly higher prevalence of antibodies against SV40 was detected in sera from epileptic patients compared to controls (41% vs. 19%). Specifically, the highest significant difference was revealed in the cohort of patients from 1.1 to 10 years old (54% vs. 21%), with a peak in the sub-cohort of 3.1?6 years old (65% vs. 18%).
[h=4]Conclusion[/h] Our immunological data suggest a strong association between epilepsy and the SV40 infection.
