title: Prevalence of herpesvirus DNA in MS patients and healthy blood donors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to determine the DNA prevalence of different members of Herpesviridae in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and to describe the possible effect of beta-interferon treatment on such prevalence.
  
  
  METHODS
  With a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay we have studied the DNA of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 204 whole blood samples, [102 from patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), of which 62 were treated with beta-interferon, and 102 from healthy blood donors].
  
  
  RESULTS
  We only found a statistically significant difference for human herpesvirus type 6 (HHV-6) DNA prevalence (P < 0.0001): HHV-6 is 2.26 times more frequent in MS patients than in healthy donors. There was no difference in the HHV-6 prevalence between beta-interferon treated and untreated patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  1. Among the herpesviruses, HHV-6 was the only one showing altered prevalence. This either indicates that HHV-6 is involved in the pathogenesis of MS, or it simply indicates that MS influences latency or reactivation of HHV-6 without any direct involvement of HHV-6 in the disease process of MS. 2. Treatment with beta-interferon does not make a difference on the DNA prevalence of the herpesviruses studied in our MS patients.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Microbiology Service, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Lafuente
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martín-Estefanía
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: de las Heras
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Castrillo
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cour
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Picazo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Varela De Seijas
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arroyo
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D004279:DNA, Viral; D016899:Interferon-beta