       Document 0590
 DOCN  M9440590
 TI    Role of viruses in the etiopathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.
 DT    9404
 AU    Sarchielli P; Trequattrini A; Usai F; Murasecco D; Gallai V; Department
       of Nervous and Mental Diseases, University of Perugia,; Italy.
 SO    Acta Neurol (Napoli). 1993 Oct;15(5):363-81. Unique Identifier :
       AIDSLINE MED/94136192
 AB    Epidemiological studies performed to identify the possible cause of
       Multiple Sclerosis (MS) suggest that an environmental agent could be
       involved in its etiopathogenesis. For a long time it has been
       hypothesized that this agent was a virus, but until now no virus
       specific to MS has been consistently identified. Animal models indicate
       that the demyelination of the central nervous system can be induced by
       certain families of viruses, but the implication of this in the
       etiopathogenesis of MS has not been clearly demonstrated.
       Morbilliviruses were the most studied. Research on this subject arose
       from the observation of the similarity between the brain lesions
       occurring in MS and encephalitis caused by the measles virus (Subacute
       Sclerosing Panencephalitis). Antimeasles, antirubella, antiherpes zoster
       antibodies have been found in the blood and the cerebrospinal fluid of
       MS patients, but the relationship between this finding and the disease
       is not clear. It has recently been proposed that the pathogenetic immune
       response in the brain of MS patients might be directed predominantly
       towards antigens of a DNA virus, such as JCV. This preferentially
       infects glial cells and causes a demyelinating syndrome in
       immunodeficient subjects, called Progressive Multifocal
       Leucoencephalopathy. The target JC viral antigens in MS could be
       synthesized during transient viral reactivation. A recent hypothesis is
       that retroviruses may intervene in the etiopathogenesis of MS. Strong
       interest has been taken in HTLV-I after its identification in Tropical
       Spastic Paraparesis, a disease with certain similarities to MS.
       Serologic and polymerase chain reaction findings from various authors
       have suggested an association between this human retrovirus and MS.
       However more recent data are not consistent with this. Current
       experiments aimed at detecting retroviral particles in long-term
       cultured peripheral blood monocytes and cerebrospinal fluid mononuclear
       cells in MS could clarify whether these cells provide a reservoir for
       such viruses, with a latency of many years without expression at brain
       level.
 DE    Antigens, Viral/IMMUNOLOGY  Cerebrospinal Fluid/MICROBIOLOGY
       Demyelinating Diseases/ETIOLOGY/IMMUNOLOGY  DNA, Viral
       Encephalomyelitis/COMPLICATIONS/IMMUNOLOGY  Female  Human
       Immunosuppression  Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive
       Multifocal/COMPLICATIONS/  IMMUNOLOGY  Male  Multiple
       Sclerosis/EPIDEMIOLOGY/*ETIOLOGY/IMMUNOLOGY  Retroviridae/ISOLATION &
       PURIF  Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis/COMPLICATIONS/IMMUNOLOGY
       Virus Diseases/*COMPLICATIONS/IMMUNOLOGY  Virus Latency  JOURNAL ARTICLE
       REVIEW  REVIEW, TUTORIAL

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

