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Search for retrovirus in patients with multiple sclerosis
J Hackett1, P Swanson, D Leahy
1Abbott Laboratories, Viral Discovery Group, North Chicago, IL 60064-4000, USA.
Annals of Neurology
|November 1, 1996
Summary
This study used a highly sensitive assay to screen multiple sclerosis (MS) patient samples for retroviruses. No evidence of retroviral infection was detected in any of the tested MS specimens.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Virology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Retroviruses have been investigated as potential etiological agents in multiple sclerosis (MS).
- Previous detection methods for retroviruses lacked sufficient sensitivity to rule out low-level infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To screen a large cohort of multiple sclerosis patients for the presence of known or novel retroviruses.
- To utilize a novel, ultrasensitive assay for enhanced detection capabilities.
Main Methods:
- Employed the IMx PERT assay, a highly sensitive technique for detecting reverse transcriptase (RT) activity.
- Analyzed 136 sera and 128 cerebrospinal fluid samples from 79 MS patients.
- Cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 19 MS patients to detect cell-associated retroviruses.
Main Results:
- The IMx PERT assay demonstrated 10(5)- to 10(7)-fold greater sensitivity than conventional RT assays.
- No evidence of retrovirus was detected in any of the analyzed serum, cerebrospinal fluid, or peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples from MS patients.
Conclusions:
- The ultrasensitive IMx PERT assay did not detect retroviral evidence in multiple sclerosis patient samples.
- These findings do not support a direct retroviral etiology for multiple sclerosis in the screened patient population.