title: Human Herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infection in multiple sclerosis: a preliminary report.
abstract: We examined cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and patients with other neurological diseases (OND) for antibody specific for Human Herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) and for HHV-6 DNA detectable by PCR. CSF from MS patients had a higher frequency of IgG antibody to HHV-6 late antigens (39.4%) compared with CSF from OND (7.4%). In contrast, the frequency of detectable IgG antibody in CSF from MS patients specific for Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) (12.1%) and Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) (6.1%) was much lower. Two of 12 MS CSFs (16.7%) also contained HHV-6 DNA detected by PCR. None of four OND CSF were positive for HHV-6 DNA. Plasma from 16 patients with MS, eight with OND and 72 healthy donors were tested for antibodies by ELISA to HHV-6 early (p41/38) and late (gp110) proteins. Although no differences in anti-gp110 IgG antibody were detected between MS patients, patients with other neurological diseases, and normals, IgG antibody to early protein p41/38 was detected in > 68% of the plasma from MS patients, 12.5% from OND patients and 27.8% of the controls. IgM antibody to p41/38 was present in > 56% of MS patients, 12.5% of OND patients, and 19% of controls. These data suggest that more than half of the MS patients had active, ongoing HHV-6 infections. HHV-6 was also isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 3/5 MS patients who were in relapse or had progressive disease and was identified as HHV-6 Variant B. These preliminary results support the hypothesis that HHV-6 may be a co-factor in the pathogenesis of some cases of MS.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Biotechnologies Inc, Columbia, Maryland 21046, USA.
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Ablashi
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lapps
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Whitman
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Richert
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Pearson
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000150:complications*; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009000:Monocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure / Q000821:virology; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000821:virology*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid