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Detection of coronavirus RNA and antigen in multiple sclerosis brain
Author(s) -
Murray Ronald S.,
Brown Bonnie,
Brain David,
Cabirac Gary F.
Publication year - 1992
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.410310511
Subject(s) - multiple sclerosis , coronavirus , in situ hybridization , antigen , complementary dna , rna , virology , central nervous system , biology , pathogenesis , immunohistochemistry , coronaviridae , immunology , messenger rna , medicine , pathology , gene , covid-19 , disease , genetics , neuroscience , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Epidemiological studies of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and animal model data support the hypothesis that viruses initiate the immunopathogenic events leading to demyelination in MS. There have been no reports, however, of consistent detection of viruses in MS central nervous system tissue. We probed MS and control brain with cDNA probes specific for human, murine, porcine, and bovine coronaviruses. We report the in situ hybridization detection of coronavirus RNA in 12 of 22 MS brain samples using cloned coronavirus cDNA probes. In addition, tissue was screened for coronavirus antigen by immunohistochemical methods; antigen was detected in two patients with rapidly progressive MS. Significant amounts of coronavirus antigen and RNA were observed in active demyelinating plaques from these two patients. These findings show that coronaviruses can infect the human central nervous system and raise the possibility that these viruses may contribute to the pathogenesis of MS in some patients.