Distribution of papovavirus, myelin-associated glycoprotein, and myelin basic protein in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy lesions.

To study how viruses interact with oligodendroglia and produce demyelination, we immunostained paraffin and epon sections of lesions from patients with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) with antisera to papovaviruses, oligodendroglial myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG), and myelin basic protein (MBP) according to the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method. In paraffin sections from a rapidly progressive case of PML, hyperimmune JC virus antiserum stained single oligodendroglia which were located in white matter that appeared normal histologically and stained normally with MAG and MBP antisera. In zones surrounding areas of demyelination, virus containing oligodendroglia were most numerous and MAG staining of periaxonal regions was decreased, but there was little change in MBP staining. In demyelinated regions, both MAG and MBP staining were severely altered; also there was much less JC virus staining. In tissue from three other chronic cases, viral antiserum stained fewer oligodendrocytes and the differences in MAG and MBP staining were much less striking. In epon sections from two biopsies of central nervous system tissue, we studied the electron microscopic appearance of oligodendroglia that also had been stained by JC virus antiserum. Virions were present in all nuclei and in some cytoplasmic regions. The results suggest that changes in MAG distribution are useful indicators of early oligodendroglial abnormalities which can cause myelin breakdown.