Lost Immune Markers for Major Affective Disorders: Could They Help Screen Airline Pilots?

Abstract

In the 1980s it was discovered that quantitative IgG titers for antibodies directed against the hu-man-obligate DNA viruses were reliably and reproducibly correlated negatively with mood in in-dividuals with major affective disorders. This knowledge was lost to confirmation bias and uncontrolled studies that only looked at Epstein-Barr virus antibodies. The latter led to a long American fad of misdiagnosing major affective disorders as a “chronic Epstein-Barr virus syndrome.” This misdiagnosis even became part of the American p opular culture during the 1980s. In light of fatal airline crashes intentionally caused by pilots, the antiviral IgG titers should be revisited as a means of screening pilots for current dysphoria or mania/hypomania due to major affective disorders.