Absence of entero- and cardioviral RNA in multiple sclerosis brain tissue.
OBJECTIVE
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.


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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Dessau
R B
RB
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Herlev University Hospital, Denmark.
Nielsen
L P
LP
Frederiksen
J L
JL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D017943:Cardiovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004770:Enterovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D016678:Genome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral