HHV-6 DNAaemia in patients with multiple sclerosis in Kuwait.
OBJECTIVE
To study the presence of active human herpesvirus type-6 (HHV-6) infection indicated by the presence of HHV-6 DNA in serum (DNAaemia) in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS) in Kuwait.


METHODS
Sera from 24 patients with MS (18 relapsing-remitting, six secondary progressive disease), control sera from 13 patients suffering from other neurological diseases and sera from 20 healthy volunteers were examined for the presence of HHV-6 DNA by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.


RESULTS
None of the MS patients, nor patient controls were positive for HHV-6 DNAaemia while, one of the normal healthy controls was positive for HHV-6 DNAaemia.


CONCLUSIONS
HHV-6 DNAaemia, indicating active HHV-6 infection could not be demonstrated in a sample of Kuwaiti patients suffering from active clinically definite MS. There is no evidence to incriminate this virus in the pathogenesis of MS in Kuwait.
Al-Shammari
S
S
Division of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kuwait, Safat, Kuwait. suhail@hsc.kuniv.edu.kw
Nelson
R F
RF
Voevodin
A
A
D000328:Adult; D001083:Arabia / Q000208:ethnology; D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000208:ethnology; D007730:Kuwait / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D020528:Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012016:Reference Values; D019349:Roseolovirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014766:Viremia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology
D004279:DNA, Viral