CD46 expression and HHV-6 infection in patients with multiple sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the possible association between the levels of the CD46 expression, and the presence and viral load of HHV-6 in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).


METHODS
We collected blood and serum samples of 103 patients with MS and the same number of healthy blood donors (HBD); total DNA and RNA was extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and serum, and then analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR for the detection of CD46 transcripts and HHV-6 genomes; the expression of rRNA18s was used for the calculation of the relative expression of CD46.


RESULTS
Almost 80% of patients with MS had increased levels of CD46 in comparison with HBD, and a positive correlation was also found between the over-expression of CD46 in patients with MS and the HHV-6 DNA prevalence and viral load in the blood and serum.


CONCLUSIONS
Therefore, the up-regulation of CD46 expression in patients with MS with HHV-6 infection could constitute an immunopathogenic factor that should be further investigated to elucidate its role in MS.
Alvarez-Lafuente
R
R
Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain. ralvarezlafuente@yahoo.es
Garcia-Montojo
M
M
De Las Heras
V
V
Dominguez-Mozo
M I
MI
Bartolome
M
M
Arroyo
R
R
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051916:Membrane Cofactor Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D019349:Roseolovirus Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D044967:Serum / Q000821:virology; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult
C497857:CD46 protein, human; D051916:Membrane Cofactor Protein