Premium
Retrovirus‐like particles in an Epstein‐Barr virus‐producing cell line derived from a patient with chronic progressive myelopathy
Author(s) -
Sommerlund M.,
Pallesen G.,
MüllerLarsen A.,
Hansen H. J.,
Haahr S.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1993.tb04080.x
Subject(s) - retrovirus , virology , myelopathy , virus , epstein–barr virus , polymerase chain reaction , cell culture , gammaherpesvirinae , human t lymphotropic virus 1 , biology , medicine , herpesviridae , viral disease , gene , genetics , spinal cord , neuroscience , t cell leukemia
A B‐lymphoblastoid cell line (LCL) of polyclonal origin was isolated from a 30‐year‐old male patient with a chronic progressive myelopathy clinically resembling multiple sclerosis (MS). The LCL expresses Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) encoded proteins and on transmission electron microscopy (EM) the LCL was shown to produce both EBV particles and retrovirus‐like particles spontaneously. The LCL was negative for human retrovirus (HIV‐I and HTLV‐I) sequences by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Furthermore the patient was seronegative to these retroviruses including HTLV‐II and HIV‐II. We, therefore, suggest that the LCL is double‐infected with EBV and a hitherto uncharacterized human retrovirus. The possible implications of these two viruses on development of diseases are discussed.