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Updated: Aug 9, 2026

A Primary Neuron Culture System for the Study of Herpes Simplex Virus Latency and Reactivation
Published on: April 2, 2012
Human herpesvirus 6 and multiple sclerosis: a one-year follow-up study
Roberto Alvarez-Lafuente1, Virginia De Las Heras, Manuel Bartolomé
1Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain. labesmul@hcsc.es
Background:
This study was undertaken in order to investigate the possible relation of HHV-6 and EBV in relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS).
Materials And Methods:
A one-year follow up study was performed analysing peripheral blood mononuclear cells and serum samples of 57 patients with RRMS and 57 healthy blood donors (HBD) by a quantitative real time PCR, to detect HHV-6 and EBV. Clinical data (starting age and EDSS increase) were collected.
Results:
We did not find any statistically significant difference for EBV between RRMS patients and HBD. Regarding HHV-6: i) There was a higher prevalence of HHV-6 in RRMS patients than in controls: 80.7% versus 29.8% respectively. ii) HHV-6 active replication seems to be related to exacerbations. iii) Only variant A was detected among RRMS patients with HHV-6 active replication. iv) Although some difference was found when we compared clinical data in RRMS patients with and without HHV-6 active replication, the results did not reach statistical significance.
Conclusions:
A higher HHV-6A frequency of active infection (reactivation or new infection) would lead to a more frequent exposure of HHV-6A antigens to the immune system of RRMS patients; this active replication of HHV-6A seems to be specifically related with the exacerbations in a subset of RRMS patients.
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