EXPRESSION OF ENDOGENOUS RETROVIRUSES IN BLOOD MONONUCLEAR-CELLS AND BRAIN-TISSUE FROM MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS PATIENTS

Objectives - To compare the expression of endogenous retroviruses in M S patients and controls. Material and methods - Peripheral blood monon uclear cells were obtained from 22 MS patients, a corresponding number of matched healthy donors and five patients with other central nervou s system diseases. Also brain specimens from MS patients and controls were obtained. Transcripts of various endogenous retroviruses in these samples were detected by RNA-PCR. Results - Several endogenous retrov iral sequences were transcribed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and brain tissue from MS patients as well as controls. A composite tra nscript of an endogenous retrovirus and a zinc finger sequence was mor e frequently found in healthy donors than in MS patients. Conclusion - Some endogenous retroviruses are normally transcribed in white blood cells and brain tissue. The significance of those findings, which conc erned the composite transcripts of the zinc finger sequence and its as sociated endogenous retrovirus, is uncertain.