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Absence of entero- and cardioviral RNA in multiple sclerosis brain tissue
R B Dessau1, L P Nielsen, J L Frederiksen
1Department of Clinical Microbiology, Herlev University Hospital, Denmark.
Objectives:
Epidemiological evidence suggests that an infectious agent may be involved in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Picornaviruses are possible candidates for an etiological agent, because of their neurotropic properties and ability to cause chronic infections.
Materials And Methods:
Autopsy brain tissue from 25 patients with clinically definite MS and 33 control patients without inflammatory neurological disease was tested with reverse transcription PCR specific for enteroviruses and cardioviruses.
Results:
All specimens were found negative.
Conclusion:
These results do not support the theory of a persisting entero- or cardioviral infection as the cause of Ms as we found no evidence of the presence of entero- or cardioviral genomes in the brains from MS patients.
Insights
This study investigated if enteroviruses or cardioviruses cause multiple sclerosis (MS). Researchers found no evidence of these persistent viral infections in the brain tissue of MS patients.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Virology
- Pathogenesis
Background:
- Epidemiological data suggest infectious agents may contribute to multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis.
- Picornaviruses, including enteroviruses and cardioviruses, are considered potential etiological agents due to their neurotropic and chronic infection capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence of enteroviral and cardioviral genomes in autopsy brain tissue from multiple sclerosis patients.
- To evaluate the hypothesis that persistent picornavirus infection is associated with the etiology of MS.
Main Methods:
- Autopsy brain tissue samples were obtained from 25 patients diagnosed with definite multiple sclerosis.
- Tissue samples from 33 control individuals without inflammatory neurological diseases were also analyzed.
- Reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) assays specific for enteroviruses and cardioviruses were performed on all specimens.
Main Results:
- All tested autopsy brain tissue specimens, from both multiple sclerosis patients and controls, yielded negative results.
- No evidence of enteroviral or cardioviral genomes was detected in any of the analyzed brain samples.
Conclusions:
- The findings do not support the theory of a persistent entero- or cardioviral infection as a cause of multiple sclerosis.
- This study found no evidence linking entero- or cardioviral genomes in brain tissue to the pathogenesis of MS.