A recent study found Bartonella DNA in the bloodstream of 43.2% of adults with psychosis versus 14.3% of controls, suggesting a potential association between Bartonella infection and psychosis.
Published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, researchers evaluated whether Bartonella spp. exposure or infection correlated with neuropsychiatric symptoms, particularly psychosis.
The study enrolled 116 participants, divided into 5 groups: controls without psychosis (n=29), prodromal participants (n=16), children and adolescents with psychosis (n=7), adults with psychosis (n=44), and relatives of participants with psychosis (n=20). Researchers used quantitative polymerase chain reaction, digital PCR, and droplet digital PCR to detect Bartonella DNA in blood samples and indirect immunofluorescence assays (IFA) to detect anti-Bartonella antibodies.
The results revealed no significant difference in Bartonella IFA seroreactivity between participants with psychosis and controls without psychosis. The most identified species among the participants were Bartonella henselae and Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii.
The findings were consistent with previous research, suggesting the need for larger, multi-center studies to further investigate the prevalence of Bartonella spp. bacteremia in adults with psychosis. The study also indicated the potential importance of comprehensive infectious disease screening, including Bartonella spp., in cases of new-onset neuropsychiatric disease.
Full disclosures can be found in the original study.