DETECTION BY POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION OF WILD-TYPE MEASLES-VIRUS GENOME IN THE CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID OF A PATIENT WITH SSPE WHO HAD RECEIVEDMEASLES-VACCINE

Background: Previous studies have reported that approximately 4-5% of patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) were given me asles vaccination but had no history of natural measles. However, in t he case who received measles vaccine, it has been extremely difficult to determine whether the actual cause of SSPE is the inoculated vaccin e virus or not. Objectives: To detect the measles virus genome in a pa tient with SSPE and to analyze its nucleotide and deduced amino acid s equence. Study design: We applied the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the measles virus genome in specimens from a 12-year-old boy with SSPE who had received measles vaccine 10 years before and had no history of apparent natural measles. The oligonucleotide primers for PCR were prepared based on the nucleotide sequence of the F and NP gen es of the measles virus Edmonston strain. Results: F and NP genes were detected in both the cerebrospinal fluid and peripheral blood lymphoc ytes. Nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence analysis of the F gen e showed that the patient's virus was different from that of the vacci ne strain. Judging from these results, it was likely that the SSPE-ass ociated strain in this case was derived from the wild-type rather than the vaccine strain. Conclusions: PCR is a useful method to establish a definitive diagnosis of SSPE and to study the nature of the SSPE-ass ociated virus.