Affiliations: The Whiteley-Martin Research Centre, Discipline of Surgery, The University of Sydney, Nepean Hospital, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
Correspondence:
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Correspondence to: Guy D. Eslick, The Whiteley-Martin Research Centre, Discipline of Surgery, The University of Sydney, Nepean Hospital, Level 3, Clinical Building, P.O. Box 63, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia. Tel.: +61 2 47 341 373; Fax: +61 2 47 343 432; guy.eslick@sydney.edu.au
Abstract: The role of infectious agents in the development of AD has long been debated, in particular, the herpesviridae family. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis to quantitatively assess all published data to establish whether there is an association. We identified studies that looked for the presence of viral DNA in the brain and/or antibody seropositivity in people with AD from four electronic databases. 35 studies met our inclusion criteria (AD cases = 1294; controls = 3059). There was an increased risk for AD when herpesviridae is present in the brain compared to controls [OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.14–1.66]. Sub-analysis showed that APOE ɛ4 and HSV1 together increased the risk of AD development [OR 2.71; 95% CI 1.08–6.80]. HSV1 together with the presence of the APOE ɛ4 allele increases the risk of developing AD.
