en عمومى General پژوهشي Original article <div><strong>Background and Aims:</strong> Borna disease virus (BDV) is well known as a neurotropic virus, however, its role in human neurological diseases such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder is still unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the BDV genome in such patients in Golestan province, North of Iran.<br> <strong>Materials and Methods:</strong> RNA was extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 250 people (125 patients with bipolar disorder (94.5%) and schizophrenia (3.1%) and 125 sex and age-matched healthy blood donors). Demographic information was collected through a questionnaire. RNA-driven cDNA was used for further BDV P40 genome tracking by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).<br> <strong>Results:</strong> Only one sample (1/125; 0.8%) of a female patient with bipolar disorder found to be positive for BDV P40. No significant family history of the disease found in both groups of patients. Seven patients with bipolar depression disorder (5.5%) had a history of animal contact.<br> <strong>Conclusions: </strong>No BDV genome has been detected in the blood samples of the patients admitted to the hospital section of psychiatry in Gorgan city. Despite other genetic and environmental factors involved in psychiatric disorders, the serological study will give us a better insight of BDV prevalence in the region.</div> Borna disease virus, P40, Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction, schizophrenia, bipolar depressive disorder 8 13 http://journal.isv.org.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-99-2&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Maryam Mohammadi Manesh mm802801@gmail.com 10031947532846006668 10031947532846006668 No Alireza Mohebbi Mohebbi-a@goums.ac.ir 10031947532846006669 10031947532846006669 No Mohammad Yasaghi Mohammad.m@goums.ac.ir 10031947532846006670 10031947532846006670 No Zahra Najafi Memar znajafimemar@Yahoo.com 10031947532846006671 10031947532846006671 No Naeme Javid naeme.javid@gmail.com 10031947532846006672 10031947532846006672 No Sadegh Ali Taziki sadeghali@yahoo.com 10031947532846006673 10031947532846006673 No Mohamad Reza Kalani kalanimr@yahoo.com 10031947532846006674 10031947532846006674 No Alijan Tabarraei aliijant@yahoo.com 10031947532846006675 10031947532846006675 No Abdolvahab Moradi abmoradi@gmail.com 10031947532846006676 10031947532846006676 Yes