Association between cytomegalovirus infection, reduced gray matter volume, and resting-state functional hypoconnectivity in major depressive disorder: a replication and extension

• DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01558-6
• Publication Date: 2021-09-07T07:03:03Z
• Authors: Haixia Zheng; Bart N. Ford; Rayus Kuplicki; Kaiping Burrows; Peter W. Hunt; Jerzy Bodurka; T. Kent Teague; Michael R. Irwin; Robert H. Yolken; Martin P. Paulus; Jonathan Savitz
• Keywords: Serostatus; Orbitofrontal cortex

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a neurotropic herpes virus known to cause neuropathology in patients with impaired immunity. Previously, we reported reduction the gray matter volume (GMV) of several brain regions two independent samples participants who were seropositive for HCMV (HCMV+) compared matched seronegative (HCMV-). In addition an replication GMV findings, this study aimed examine whether HCMV+ was associated differences resting-state functional connectivity (rsfMRI-FC). After balancing on 11 clinical/demographic variables using inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW), and rsfMRI-FC obtained from 99 major depressive disorder (MDD) classified into 42 57 HCMV- individuals. Relative group, group showed significant nine cortical regions. Volume right lateral orbitofrontal cortex (standardized beta coefficient (SBC) = -0.32, [95%CI, -0.62 -0.02]) left pars orbitalis (SBC -0.34, -0.63 -0.05]) also observed previous study. Regardless parcellation method or analytical approach, relative hypoconnectivity between hubs sensorimotor network (bilateral postcentral gyrus) salience insula) effect sizes ranging SBC -0.57 -0.99. These findings support hypothesis that positive serostatus altered are important stress affective processing further supports possible etiological role depression.