No evidence of persistent mumps virus infection in inflammatory bowel disease

Background and aim-There is controversy regarding whether paramyxovirus inf ection is causally associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The la test cohort study claimed that atypical measles and mumps infections in chi ldhood may be risk factors for later IBD. This study was conducted to clari fy the validity of a causal link between persistent mumps virus infection a nd IBD. Subjects and methods-(1) Amplification of the mumps virus genome was perfor med in both intestinal specimens (ulcerative colitis 15, Crohn's disease 15 , control 10) and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) (ulcerative colitis se ven, Crohn's disease six, control three) by reverse transcription-polymeras e chain reaction (RT-PCR) followed by Southern hybridisation using primers specific to the viral genome encoding phosphoprotein or haemagglutinin-neur aminidase. (2) Titre of serum antimumps IgG was measured in 16 patients wit h ulcerative colitis, in 16 patients with Crohn's disease, and in 16 normal controls using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Results-(1) The mumps virus genome was not detected by RT-PCR in intestinal specimens or PBL in any case. (2) Anti-mumps IgG titre was positive in 7/1 6 ulcerative colitis, 10/16 Crohn's disease, and 11/16 control specimens. T he mean (SEM) titre of antimumps IgG was 12.281 (7.831) in ulcerative colit is, 7.675 (1.608) in Crohn's disease, and 8.637 (1.969) in controls, with n o significant difference between the three groups. Conclusion-We could not find any evidence to support a causal Link between persistent mumps virus infection and IBD.