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Cardiology Insights 2019 Journal of Heart and Cardiovascular Research
ISSN: 2576-1455 Page 40
March 07-08, 2019
Berlin, Germany
New Horizons in Cardiology
& Cardiologists Education
22nd International Conference on
J Heart Cardiovasc Res 2019, Volume 3
DOI: 10.21767/2576-1455-C1-003
Direct evidence of viral infection and mitochondrial
alterations in the brain of fetuses at high risk for
schizophrenia
Segundo Mesa Castillo
Havana Psychiatric Hospital, Cuban
Background: There is increasing evidences that favor the
prenatal beginning of schizophrenia. These evidences
point toward intra-uterine environmental factors that
act specifically during the second pregnancy trimester
producing a direct damage of the brain of the fetus. The
current available technology doesn’t allow observing
what is happening at cellular level since the human brain
is not exposed to a direct analysis in that stage of the life
in subjects at high risk of developing schizophrenia.
Methods: In 1977 we began a direct electronmicroscopic
research of the brain of fetuses at high risk from
schizophrenic mothers in order to finding differences at
cellular level in relation to controls.
Results: In these studies we have observed within
the nuclei of neurons the presence of complete and
incomplete viral particles that reacted in positive form
with antibodies to herpes simplex hominis type I [HSV1]
virus, and mitochondria alterations.
Conclusion: The importance of these findings can have
practical applications in the prevention of the illness
keeping in mind its direct relation to the aetiology and
physiopathologyofschizophrenia.Astudyofthegametes
or the amniotic fluid cells in women at risk of having a
schizophrenic offspring is considered. Of being observed
the same alterations that those observed previously in
the cells of the brain of the studied foetuses, it would
intend to these women in risk of having a schizophrenia
descendant, previous information of the results, the
voluntary medical interruption of the pregnancy or an
early anti HSV1 viral treatment as preventive measure of
the later development of the illness.