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The search for virus in multiple sclerosis brain
D H Gilden1, M E Devlin, M P Burgoon
1Department of Neurology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver 80262, USA.
Multiple Sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)
|November 1, 1996
Summary
Researchers attempted to isolate a virus from multiple sclerosis (MS) brain tissue using various cell culture and animal inoculation methods. No evidence of a viral agent was found, suggesting further investigation into MS-specific antigens is warranted.
Area of Science:
- Neurovirology
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic central nervous system (CNS) disease with suspected infectious or post-infectious etiologies.
- Previous studies successfully isolated viruses from other neurological diseases like Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE) and Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence of a viral agent in explanted brain tissue from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
- To apply established in vitro techniques for viral rescue and detection to MS brain cell cultures.
Main Methods:
- Explantation and propagation of MS brain tissue in cell culture.
- Inoculation of MS brain cells into various animal models (chimpanzees, rodents) and embryonated eggs.
- Cocultivation and fusion of MS cells with indicator cells.
- Indirect immunofluorescence assays using antiviral antisera.
- Superinfection assays with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV).
Main Results:
- No neurologic disease was observed in experimentally infected animals.
- No cytopathic effect was detected in explanted or co-cultured MS cells.
- Viral antigens were not detected by immunofluorescence.
- No evidence of a latent enveloped virus was found using VSV superinfection.
Conclusions:
- Current in vitro methods failed to detect a viral agent in MS brain tissue.
- The presence of oligoclonal bands (OGBs) in MS cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) suggests an immune response to a specific agent.
- Further strategies are needed to detect potential MS-specific antigens or RNA in brain tissue.