title: Multiple sclerosis-associated retrovirus and related human endogenous retrovirus-W in patients with multiple sclerosis: a literature review.
abstract: Human endogenous retrovirus-W and the closely related multiple sclerosis-associated retrovirus have been associated with neuro-inflammatory diseases including multiple sclerosis. However, retroviral expression has been reported in brain tissue from healthy subjects as well. In addition, no consensus has been reached on the endogenous/exogenous status of multiple sclerosis-associated retrovirus, which also needs clarification. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to systematically review the published data available on the viruses investigated in patients with multiple sclerosis and to evaluate their hypothesized role as contributing factors to the disease etiology. Evidence suggests that both retroviruses may be endogenous to humans and that failure to suppress viral activity may not be restricted to patients with multiple sclerosis and therefore an unlikely cause of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bio-Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Wellness Science, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, PO Box 1906, Bellville, 7530 Cape Town, South Africa. Electronic address: hong@cput.ac.za.
authors.forename: Gloudina M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Hon
authors.forename: Rajiv T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Erasmus
authors.forename: Tandi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsha
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*
keywords: CSF; Human endogenous retrovirus-W; Multiple sclerosis; Multiple sclerosis-associated retrovirus; Peripheral blood leucocytes; Serum