Retroviruses and multiple sclerosis. II. Failure of gene amplification techniques to detect viral sequences unique to the disease.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) has been associated with infection by a novel human retrovirus because of its similarity to other white matter diseases caused by retroviruses and because of some serologic evidence suggesting reactivity of MS sera with antigens of HTLV-I. With the polymerase chain reaction technique, we attempted to amplify genes of HTLV-I (p24 and pol) from lymphocyte and granulocyte DNA in 44 patients with MS, 18 other neurologic or autoimmune diseases, and 11 normal controls. With primers and probes specific for these genes, we were unable to identify sequences unique to patients with MS.
Dekaban
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University Hospital, London, ON, Canada.
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D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005784:Gene Amplification; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012016:Reference Values; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D004279:DNA, Viral; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D004247:DNA