Human herpesvirus 6 infects the central nervous system of multiple sclerosis patients in the early stages of the disease.
The presence and the replicative state of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) were evaluated in clinical samples from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients at the first time of MS diagnosis. HHV-6 variant B was present in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 5/32 (15%) patients, but persisted with a latent infection. Viral sequences were present also in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), both free in the liquid (7/32, 22%) and latent in the cellular fraction (3/32, 9%), as shown by analysis of viral transcription. In these cases, variant A was detected. HHV-6 DNA sequences present in the CSF were associated to mature viral particles. In fact, in vitro infectious assays of CSF showed the presence of replication-competent virions. These results show that about 20% of MS patients have active foci of HHV-6 variant A infection in the early stages of the disease and suggest that viral replication takes place within the central nervous system.
Rotola
A
A
Section of Microbiology, Department of Experimental and Diagnostic Medicine, University of Ferrara, Italy.
Merlotti
I
I
Caniatti
L
L
Caselli
E
E
Granieri
E
E
Tola
M R
MR
Di Luca
D
D
Cassai
E
E
D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000150:complications*; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000150:complications*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019349:Roseolovirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014771:Virion / Q000502:physiology; D017735:Virus Latency; D014779:Virus Replication
D004279:DNA, Viral