title: Polymerase chain reaction analysis for specific HTLV-1 sequences from cerebrospinal fluid and peripheral blood cells in Sardinian multiple sclerosis patients.
abstract: Using polymerase chain reaction and specific primers, we found no gag and env sequences of HTLV-1 in DNA samples from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 26 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with relapsing-remitting, relapsing-progressive and progressive course from onset of the disease, and from 8 patients affected with other neurological diseases (OND). A Positive signal for the gag region was found in DNA samples from cerebrospinal fluid mononuclear cells (CSFMC) of 6/17 (27.3%) MS patients (either with relapsing-remitting, or relapsing-progressive and progressive course from onset of the disease), and in 2/11 (18.2%) CSFMC OND samples. Positive hybridization for the env sequence was evident in 2/11 (18.2%) CSFMC from OND and none of MS samples. The finding of positive hybridization for gag and env sequences in a few samples of CSFMC may be related to the presence in the CSF of a great number of activated cells, which could express cross-reacting sequences of endogenous retrovirus.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Neuropsichiatria Infantile, Università di Cagliari, Italia.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Marrosu
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Mazzoleni
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Galantuomo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Melis
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Muntoni
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000175:diagnosis; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction