Rasmus Gustafsson1, Renate Reitsma2, Annelie Strålfors2, Andreas Lindholm2, Rayomand Press2, Anna Fogdell-Hahn2. 1. Department of Clinical Neuroscience, The Multiple Sclerosis Research Group, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: Rasmus.Gustafsson@ki.se. 2. Department of Clinical Neuroscience, The Multiple Sclerosis Research Group, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) has been reported to be associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). METHODS: We analyzed cell-free HHV-6 DNA as an indication of active infection in the peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of Swedish patients with GBS, patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy, treatment-naïve patients with possible MS, interferon-β treated MS patients [with or without neutralizing antibodies (NAbs)], and control patients with headache. RESULTS: One of 14 GBS patients and one of eight patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy were positive for HHV-6 DNA in serum. Of the 27 treatment-naïve possible MS patients, two were positive in plasma and one in CSF. HHV-6 DNA was detected in the serum of three of 79 NAb+ patients and one of 102 NAb-interferon-β treated MS patients. HHV-6 DNA could not be detected in the plasma or CSF of any of the 33 controls, although the differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Our results do not suggest active HHV-6 infection to be a common phenomenon in any of the patient groups studied.
BACKGROUND:Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) has been reported to be associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). METHODS: We analyzed cell-free HHV-6 DNA as an indication of active infection in the peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of Swedish patients with GBS, patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy, treatment-naïve patients with possible MS, interferon-β treated MS patients [with or without neutralizing antibodies (NAbs)], and control patients with headache. RESULTS: One of 14 GBSpatients and one of eight patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy were positive for HHV-6 DNA in serum. Of the 27 treatment-naïve possible MS patients, two were positive in plasma and one in CSF. HHV-6 DNA was detected in the serum of three of 79 NAb+ patients and one of 102 NAb-interferon-β treated MS patients. HHV-6 DNA could not be detected in the plasma or CSF of any of the 33 controls, although the differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Our results do not suggest active HHV-6 infection to be a common phenomenon in any of the patient groups studied.
Authors: Karol Perlejewski; Iwona Bukowska-Ośko; Małgorzata Rydzanicz; Tomasz Dzieciątkowski; Beata Zakrzewska-Pniewska; Aleksandra Podlecka-Piętowska; Agata Filipiak; Krzysztof Barć; Kamila Caraballo Cortés; Agnieszka Pawełczyk; Marek Radkowski; Tomasz Laskus Journal: PLoS One Date: 2020-10-28 Impact factor: 3.240