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

Allen D Allen

doi:10.4236/ijcm.2015.64036

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 popular 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.

Highlights

As is well known, there have been several fatal crashes of commercial passenger jets that are known or believed to have been intentionally caused by a pilot
A blood panel that could accomplish this by the quantitative measurement of certain antiviral IgG titers was discovered in the 1980s. This knowledge was lost to confirmation bias and uncontrolled studies that led to a long American fad of misdiagnosing major affective disorders as a “chronic Epstein-Barr virus syndrome.”
Dozens of independent researchers, including those working for the US National Institutes of Health and Institute of Mental Health, as well as those working for major universities [7]-[16], have found in numerous studies that IgG antibodies directed against the human-obligate DNA viruses, such as Epstein-Barr virus, are elevated in individuals currently suffering from major depression

Summary

Introduction

There have been several fatal crashes of commercial passenger jets that are known or believed to have been intentionally caused by a pilot. At the time Mr Lubitz was hired, Germanwings, which became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lufthansa in 2009, knew that he had a history of major depression with suicidal ideation. This generated much public discussion and debate about how to prevent such disasters. A blood panel that could accomplish this by the quantitative measurement of certain antiviral IgG titers was discovered in the 1980s This knowledge was lost to confirmation bias and uncontrolled studies that led to a long American fad of misdiagnosing major affective disorders as a “chronic Epstein-Barr virus syndrome.”

A Brief History of the Chronic Epstein-Barr Virus Fad

Conclusion