GLIOTOXICITY, REVERSE-TRANSCRIPTASE ACTIVITY AND RETROVIRAL RNA IN MONOCYTE MACROPHAGE CULTURE SUPERNATANTS FROM PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS/

In investigating a possible link between a novel retroviral agent (pro visionally called MSRV), recently characterised in multiple sclerosis (MS), and the neuropathology of MS, it was found that there was a sign ificant correlation between gliotoxicity and reverse transcriptase act ivity in monocyte/macrophage culture supernatants (MMCS) unique to MS patients, MMCS from healthy controls and patients with other neurologi cal diseases did not display either gliotoxicity or reverse transcript ase activity, The observed gliotoxic effect was an initial, intermedia te filament network disorganization and subsequent cell death which wa s specific to astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. The reverse transcripta se activity and MSRV-specific RNA were observed during the first 2 wee ks of culture in MMCS from patients with active MS. The further elucid ation of the molecular form(s) of this gliotoxic factor and its origin al source may be crucial in elucidating important etiopathogenic mecha nisms in MS. (C) 1997 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.