Similar humoral and cellular immunological reactivities to human herpesvirus 6 in patients with multiple sclerosis and controls.
Several studies have suggested an association between human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and multiple sclerosis (MS). We have previously studied intrathecal production of antibody to lymphotropic herpesviruses in MS patients and the presence of human herpesvirus 1 to 7 DNAs in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). In the present study anti-HHV-6 immunoglobulin M (IgM) in serum and anti-HHV-6 IgG subclasses in serum and CSF were examined and the lymphoproliferative response to HHV-6 was analyzed. The PCR examination was refined by purifying DNA from CSF and retesting the samples for HHV-6 DNA. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups concerning IgM positivity, distribution of IgG subclasses, or lymphoproliferative response to HHV-6. The purification of DNA increased the number of PCR-positive samples from 0 of 71 to 4 of 68. The study does not give additional support to the possibility that HHV-6 is a common cause of MS, but a role for the virus in a subset of patients cannot be excluded.
Department of Virology, Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, Stockholm, Sweden. malin_enbom@hotmail.com
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Enbom
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Wang
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Fredrikson
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Martin
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Dahl
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Linde
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000917:Antibody Formation; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D005260:Female; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
D004279:DNA, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M