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Correlation between HHV‐6 reactivation and multiple sclerosis disease activity
Author(s) -
Chapenko Svetlana,
Millers Andrejs,
Nora Zaiga,
Logina Inara,
Kukaine Rita,
Murovska Modra
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.10258
Subject(s) - multiple sclerosis , medicine , viremia , exacerbation , immunology , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , disease , antibody , biology , biochemistry , in vitro
This study examined the association between HHV‐6 infection and multiple sclerosis (MS) and the relationship between HHV‐6 reactivation and disease activity. The frequency of HHV‐6 genomic sequences in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), the incidence of plasma viremia (nPCR), the transcription of viral mRNA in PBMCs (RT‐PCR), the presence of antiviral IgM and IgG class antibodies in the plasma (IFA) of 16 relapsing/remitting and secondary progressive MS patients were studied in comparison with clinical manifestations of the disease, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of brain, and serum interleukin (IL)‐12 concentrations (ELISA). The prevalence of HHV‐6 infection was significantly higher in patients with MS (16/26) than in patients with other neurological diseases (6/21) and in blood donors (43/150). HHV‐6 reactivation was found during periods of disease activity with Gadolinium‐enhancing lesions on MRI in both relapsing/remitting and secondary progressive MS (10/13; 76.9%). In patients with active MS disease, serum concentrations of IL‐12 were significantly higher in those patients with active HHV‐6 infection than in patients with latent infection. The data confirm an association between HHV‐6 infection and MS and show a correlation between HHV‐6 reactivation and disease activity in relapsing/remitting and secondary progressive MS. The risk of an exacerbation of MS was significantly higher ( P < 0.005) in patients with active HHV‐6 infection than in patients with latent infection. A clear correlation between HHV‐6 reactivation and serum IL‐12 concentrations during disease activity has been demonstrated. The results suggest that HHV‐6 reactivation is implicated in exacerbation of MS, possibly through modulation of IL‐12 synthesis. J. Med. Virol. 69:111–117, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.