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Absence of seven human herpesviruses, including HHV‐6, by polymerase chain reaction in CSF and blood from patients with multiple sclerosis and optic neuritis
Author(s) -
Martin C.,
Enbom M.,
Söderström M.,
Fredrikson S.,
Dahl H.,
Lycke J.,
Bergström T.,
Linde A.
Publication year - 1997
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.1600-0404.1997.tb00210.x
Subject(s) - human herpesvirus 6 , multiple sclerosis , optic neuritis , cerebrospinal fluid , herpes simplex virus , herpesviridae , varicella zoster virus , polymerase chain reaction , virology , virus , cytomegalovirus , medicine , human cytomegalovirus , encephalitis , simplexvirus , pathogenesis , immunology , pathology , viral disease , biology , gene , biochemistry
Several members of the herpesvirus family have been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Recently, HHV‐6 viral antigen has been demonstrated in association to MS plaques, as well as DNA from human herpesvirus 6 (HHV‐6) in cerebrospinal fluid from a few MS patients by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In the present study, CSF from patients with MS, optic neuritis and other neurological diseases, as well as consecutive CSF and serum samples from MS patients included in a clinical trial with acyclovir, were analysed by nested PCR for the presence of DNA from herpes simplex virus 1 and 2, Epstein‐Barr virus, varicella zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, human herpesvirus 6 and 7. No virus DNA was found in any CSF ( n = 115) or serum ( n = 116) sample. These findings argue against a continuous disseminated herpesvirus infection in MS, but do not rule out a lesion‐associated, low‐grade herpesvirus infection within the MS brain.