ABSENCE OF ENTEROVIRAL AND CARDIOVIRAL RNA IN MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS BRAIN-TISSUE

Objectives - Epidemiological evidence suggests that an infectious agen t may be involved in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Pico rnaviruses are possible candidates for an etiological agent, because o f their neurotropic properties and ability to cause chronic infections . Materials and methods - Autopsy brain tissue from 25 patients with c linically definite MS and 33 control patients without inflammatory neu rological disease was tested with reverse transcription PCR specific f or enteroviruses and cardioviruses. Results - All specimens were found negative. Conclusion - These results do not support the theory of a p ersisting entero- or cardioviral infection as the cause of MS as we fo und no evidence of the presence of entero- or cardioviral genomes in t he brains from MS patients.