Cerebrospinal fluid detection of enterovirus genome in ALS: a study of 242 patients and 354 controls.
Detection of enterovirus (EV) in the spinal cord of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been reported on post mortem central nervous system tissues. In cases of persistent infection, it is very likely that the EV genome might be detected in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). A study was conducted in seven French amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) centres between 1997 and 2002. A total of 242 ALS patients and 354 age- and sex-matched controls (non-ALS patients) were enrolled. A sensitive RT-PCR method was performed on the CSF to assess the presence of EV RNA; 14.5% of ALS patients were positive compared to 7.6% of controls (chi(2) value, 5.31; p = 0.02). Although EV infection has a seasonal pattern, we observed no seasonality in positive detection of the EV genome among ALS patients. There was no significant relationship among ALS patients between the initial clinical form or survival and the result of the RT-PCR. These findings suggest a relationship between the presence of EV sequences in CSF and ALS. Our study is consistent with the hypothesis that persistent EV infection can be one of the multiple factors involved in the development of ALS.
Vandenberghe
Nadia
N
Hospices Civils de Lyon, Centre SLA de Lyon (Service d'Electroneuromyographie et Service de Neurologie C), Hôpital Neurologique Pierre Wertheimer, Lyon, France. nadia.vandenberghe@chu-lyon.fr
Leveque
Nicolas
N
Corcia
Philippe
P
Brunaud-Danel
Véronique
V
Salort-Campana
Emmanuelle
E
Besson
Gérard
G
Tranchant
Christine
C
Clavelou
Pierre
P
Beaulieux
Frédérique
F
Ecochard
René
R
Vial
Christophe
C
Broussolle
Emmanuel
E
Lina
Bruno
B
D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004770:Enterovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D016679:Genome, Viral / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D012367:RNA, Viral