OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to determine the DNA prevalence of different members of Herpesviridae in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and to describe the possible effect of beta-interferon treatment on such prevalence. MATERIAL AND METHODS: With a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay we have studied the DNA of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 204 whole blood samples, [102 from patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), of which 62 were treated with beta-interferon, and 102 from healthy blood donors]. RESULTS: We only found a statistically significant difference for human herpesvirus type 6 (HHV-6) DNA prevalence (P < 0.0001): HHV-6 is 2.26 times more frequent in MS patients than in healthy donors. There was no difference in the HHV-6 prevalence between beta-interferon treated and untreated patients. CONCLUSION: 1. Among the herpesviruses, HHV-6 was the only one showing altered prevalence. This either indicates that HHV-6 is involved in the pathogenesis of MS, or it simply indicates that MS influences latency or reactivation of HHV-6 without any direct involvement of HHV-6 in the disease process of MS. 2. Treatment with beta-interferon does not make a difference on the DNA prevalence of the herpesviruses studied in our MS patients.
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to determine the DNA prevalence of different members of Herpesviridae in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and to describe the possible effect of beta-interferon treatment on such prevalence. MATERIAL AND METHODS: With a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay we have studied the DNA of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 204 whole blood samples, [102 from patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), of which 62 were treated with beta-interferon, and 102 from healthy blood donors]. RESULTS: We only found a statistically significant difference for human herpesvirus type 6 (HHV-6) DNA prevalence (P < 0.0001): HHV-6 is 2.26 times more frequent in MSpatients than in healthy donors. There was no difference in the HHV-6 prevalence between beta-interferon treated and untreated patients. CONCLUSION: 1. Among the herpesviruses, HHV-6 was the only one showing altered prevalence. This either indicates that HHV-6 is involved in the pathogenesis of MS, or it simply indicates that MS influences latency or reactivation of HHV-6 without any direct involvement of HHV-6 in the disease process of MS. 2. Treatment with beta-interferon does not make a difference on the DNA prevalence of the herpesviruses studied in our MSpatients.
Authors: William H Theodore; Leon Epstein; William D Gaillard; Shlomo Shinnar; Mark S Wainwright; Steven Jacobson Journal: Epilepsia Date: 2008-07-08 Impact factor: 5.864
Authors: Marta Garcia-Montojo; Virginia De Las Heras; Manuel Bartolome; Rafael Arroyo; Roberto Alvarez-Lafuente Journal: J Neurovirol Date: 2007-12 Impact factor: 2.643
Authors: Karen Yao; Susan Gagnon; Nahid Akhyani; Elizabeth Williams; Julie Fotheringham; Elliot Frohman; Olaf Stuve; Nancy Monson; Michael K Racke; Steven Jacobson Journal: PLoS One Date: 2008-04-30 Impact factor: 3.240