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Analysis of retroviral sequences in the spinal form of multiple sclerosis
Author(s) -
Rozenberg Flore,
Lefebvre Suize,
Lubetzki Catherine,
Lebon Pierre,
LyonCaen Olivier,
Brahic Michel,
Bureau JeanFrançois
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410290317
Subject(s) - peripheral blood mononuclear cell , virology , multiple sclerosis , polymerase chain reaction , oligonucleotide , biology , virus , dna , long terminal repeat , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , reverse transcriptase , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , genetics , gene , genome , in vitro
The polymerase chain reaction was used, in a blind study, to look for retroviral sequences in DNA extracted from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 11 patients with the spinal form of multiple sclerosis (MS). Control subjects consisted of 7 patients with other neurological diseases and 5 healthy blood donors. Three sets of oligonucleotides were used. They could detect all known human oncoretroviruses, lentiviruses, or spumaretroviruses. The primers recognized conserved sequences in the long terminal repeats of the proviral DNA. Control experiments showed that the primers crossreacted within the human immunodeficiency virus or human T‐cell lymphotropic virus group and that they provided the expected level of sensitivity. Therefore the assay could have detected not only known human retroviruses but also new related members. In spite of this, no retroviral sequences were detected in either the MS or the control specimen.