Chlamydophila pneumoniae DNA and mRNA transcript levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis.
Chlamydophila pneumoniae DNA and mRNA transcripts were investigated by PCR and RT-PCR in fresh CSF and PBMC specimens co-cultured in Hep-2 cell lines and collected from 14 patients with definite RR MS and 19 patients with other inflammatory (OIND) and non-inflammatory (NIND) neurological controls. A positivity for C. pneumoniae DNA and mRNA was detected in CSF and PBMCs of 9 RR MS patients (64.2%) with evidence of disease activity, whereas only 3 controls were positive for Chlamydial DNA. These preliminary findings suggest that C. pneumoniae may occur in a persistent and metabolically active state at both peripheral and intrathecal levels in MS, but not in OIND and NIND.
Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. cnc@unife.it
Carlo
C
Contini
Silva
S
Seraceni
Massimiliano
M
Castellazzi
Enrico
E
Granieri
Enrico
E
Fainardi
D000328:Adult; D015984:Causality; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D023521:Chlamydophila Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000150:complications*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics*; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000382:microbiology*; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
D009696:Nucleic Acids; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004247:DNA