title: Acute transverse myelitis and hepatitis C virus.
abstract: In the last few years, substantial evidence has been provided on peripheral nervous involvement in infection by hepatitis C virus (HCV), whilst central nervous involvement is rare. Here, we report a case of acute transverse myelitis in a woman developing 4 years after documented HCV seropositivity, associated with intrathecal anti-HCV protein IgG. Isoelectrofocusing of all CSF samples before and after immunoabsorption with recombinant structural HCV proteins revealed disappearance or marked decrease of some oligoclonal IgG bands suggesting binding to HCV proteins. To our knowledge, this is the first report of acute myelitis associated with intrathecal immune response against HCV proteins. This finding suggests that in acute myelitis of unknown aetiology, testing CSF for HCV RNA and related antibodies is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Sciences and Behaviour, Centre for Research on Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunological Diseases, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Annunziata
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marroni
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Francisci
authors.forename: Giuliano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stagni
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D015551:Autoimmunity; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007525:Isoelectric Focusing; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009188:Myelitis, Transverse / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins