title: Absence of antibody to HTLV I and III in sera of Canadian patients with multiple sclerosis and chronic myelopathy.
abstract: Recently, elevated titers of antibody to HTLV I have been demonstrated in patients with tropical spastic paraparesis and multiple sclerosis. We evaluated the possible role of human retroviruses HTLV I and III in Canadian patients with multiple sclerosis and chronic idiopathic myelopathy. Using sensitive enzyme immunoassays, we were unable to find antibody to either HTLV I or III in 201 patients with multiple sclerosis, 29 patients with chronic myelopathy, 51 patients with other neurological disorders, or 29 normal subjects. These data do not support a role for these viruses in the cause of sporadic multiple sclerosis and chronic myelopathy in a regionally based Canadian population, but do not exclude a role for other antigenically distinct retroviruses.
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D002170:Canada; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017977:Deltaretrovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006800:Deltaretrovirus Infections / Q000150:complications; D006678:HIV / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral