title: Characterization of retroviruses from patients with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: These studies were performed to characterize retroviruses found in cell lines spontaneously developed from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) from 6 multiple sclerosis patients, a patient with progressive myelopathy and a healthy control. The cell lines are B-lymphoblastoid and produce Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) particles or express EBV proteins. The B-lymphoblastoid cell lines are also characterized by production of low, fluctuating amounts of retrovirus. The low productivity complicates purification and characterization, but implementation of product-enhanced reverse transcriptase (PERT) assays has provided a highly useful tool for monitoring retrovirus production. By electron microscopy, the retroviral particles appear type-C-like. Functional assays indicate the presence of Pol, Gag and Env. Indirect ELISA demonstrates a significant relation between disease activity and reactivity towards retroviral peptides. Molecular characterization is primarily based on RT-PCR, cloning, sequencing and Northern- or Southern analyses. Molecular characterization is continuing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Munch
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haahr
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Riemann
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Møller-Larsen
mesh_terms: D001324:Autoantigens / Q000235:genetics*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology; D002460:Cell Line; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral / Q000502:physiology; D015752:Genes, env / Q000235:genetics; D015750:Genes, gag / Q000235:genetics; D015751:Genes, pol / Q000235:genetics; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007181:Inclusion Bodies, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000821:virology*; D012191:Retroviridae Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; D004279:DNA, Viral; D012191:Retroviridae Proteins