Quantitative detection of epstein-barr virus DNA in cerebrospinal fluid and blood samples of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.
The presence of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) DNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and peripheral blood (PB) samples collected from 55 patients with clinical and radiologically-active relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and 51 subjects with other neurological diseases was determined using standardized commercially available kits for viral nucleic acid extraction and quantitative EBV DNA detection. Both cell-free and cell-associated CSF and PB fractions were analyzed, to distinguish latent from lytic EBV infection. EBV DNA was detected in 5.5% and 18.2% of cell-free and cell-associated CSF fractions of patients with RRMS as compared to 7.8% and 7.8% of controls; plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) positivity rates were 7.3% and 47.3% versus 5.8% and 31.4%, respectively. No significant difference in median EBV viral loads of positive samples was found between RRMS and control patients in all tested samples. Absence of statistically significant differences in EBV positivity rates between RRMS and control patients, despite the use of highly sensitive standardized methods, points to the lack of association between EBV and MS disease activity.
Dipartimento di Chirurgia e Medicina Traslazionale, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
Clementina E
CE
Cocuzza
Dipartimento di Chirurgia e Medicina Traslazionale, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
Fabrizio
F
Piazza
Dipartimento di Chirurgia e Medicina Traslazionale, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
Rosario
R
Musumeci
Dipartimento di Chirurgia e Medicina Traslazionale, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
Davide
D
Oggioni
Dipartimento di Chirurgia e Medicina Traslazionale, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
Simona
S
Andreoni
Dipartimento di Chirurgia e Medicina Traslazionale, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
Margherita
M
Gardinetti
Dipartimento di Chirurgia e Medicina Traslazionale, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
Letizia
L
Fusco
Clinica Neurologica, A.O. S. Gerardo, Monza, Italy.
Maura
M
Frigo
Dipartimento di Neurologia, Ospedale di Circolo e Fondazione Macchi, Varese, Italy.
Paola
P
Banfi
Centro Sclerosi Multipla, A.O. Ospedale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy.
Maria R
MR
Rottoli
U.O. Neurologia IV, Centro Sclerosi Multipla, Fondazione Istituto Neurologico "Carlo Besta", Milano, Italy.
Paolo
P
Confalonieri
Dipartimento di Neurologia, A.O Sant'Anna, Como, Italy.
Monica
M
Rezzonico
Centro Sclerosi Multipla, Dipartimento di Neurologia, A.O. Ospedale Maggiore, Crema, Italy.
Maria T
MT
Ferrò
Dipartimento di Chirurgia e Medicina Traslazionale, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
Guido
G
Cavaletti
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D019562:Viral Load
D004279:DNA, Viral