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.
Section of Microbiology, Department of Experimental and Diagnostic Medicine, University of Ferrara, Italy.
A
A
Rotola
I
I
Merlotti
L
L
Caniatti
E
E
Caselli
E
E
Granieri
M R
MR
Tola
D
D
Di Luca
E
E
Cassai
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