DETECTION OF HERPESVIRUSES BY POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION IN LYMPHOCYTES FROM PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

Objective. To investigate the occurrence of herpesviruses, including E pstein-Barr virus (EBV), herpes simplex viruses types 1 and 2 (HSV-1; HSV-2), and human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), in lymphocytes from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) of less than 1 year's duration. Methods . The polymerase chain reaction was applied to cells isolated from syn ovial fluid and peripheral blood. Indirect immunofluorescence and enzy me immunoassay techniques were used to detect antibodies against EBV a nd HSV, respectively. Results. EBV DNA was present in synovial fluid l ymphocytes from 19% (7 of 37) of the RA patients and 33% (5 of 15) of the patients with reactive arthritis (ReA). Peripheral blood lymphocyt es harbored EBV DNA in 39% of the RA patients, 39% of the ReA patients , 27% of the patients with other arthropathies, and in 31% of the heal thy control subjects. HSV-1, HSV-2, and HHV-6 viral DNA was not detect ed in cells from the synovial fluid or peripheral blood. Conclusion. O ur findings do not support the participation of EBV, HSV-1, HSV-2, or HHV-6 in the pathogenesis of RA. A role for the highly prevalent EBV c annot he excluded, however, since potential contributions may become m anifest only when other necessary factors are involved. RA pathogenesi s caused by an overproduction of the EBV virus is nevertheless highly unlikely.