Herpes simplex virus 2 serology is associated with thinner whole-brain cortex in community-dwelling older adults, 2023, Gutierrez et al

Herpes simplex virus 2 serology is associated with thinner whole-brain cortex in community-dwelling older adults

Highlights

• We explore the association between infectious disease serologies and neuroimaging signatures
• Herpes simplex virus 2 was robustly associated with reduced whole-brain cortical thickness
• C. pneumoniae and HSV-2 display a potentially additive effect on reduced cortical thickness
• Exposure to HSV-2 may contribute to dementia risk, possibly due to chronic latency and reactivation in the CNS

Abstract
Prior work in the Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS) identified impaired cognition in cross-sectional analyses and more rapid memory decline in individuals with evidence of prior common infectious disease exposures. In this study, we sought to determine the cross-sectional relationship between prior exposure to cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and Helicobacter pylori and three magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signatures (whole-brain cortical thickness, a previously validated AD signature, and hippocampal volume) in 455 NOMAS participants.

We performed confounder-adjusted linear regression analyses between neuroimaging scores and both continuous serologies and categorical seropositivity of each pathogen, as well as a combined infectious burden index (IBI). We identified that increased serologic titers of herpes simplex virus 2 were associated with reduced whole-brain cortical thickness, and a combined score of HSV-2 and C. pneumoniae displayed an additive effect on reduced cortical thickness.

Our findings suggest herpes simplex virus 2 seropositivity may contribute to accelerated brain aging, possibly resulting in an increased vulnerability to cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative disease in aging populations.

https://www.jns-journal.com/article/S0022-510X(23)00317-9/fulltext