Received 7 August
2002; accepted 2 December 2002; electronically published 9 April 2003.
The frequencyof human herpesvirus 6
(HHV-6) DNA was assessedin autopsy material frommultiple sclerosis (MS) plaquesand
normal-appearing white matter(NAWM) from brains ofpersons with MS, healthybrains, and brains ofpersons with other neurologicdiseases. Specific
areas fromformalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded brain tissuesamples were isolated bylaser microscope. DNA wasextracted from laser microdissectedbrain material,
and HHV-6genomic sequences were amplifiedby
nested polymerase chainreaction. We analyzed 44NAWM samples and 64MS plaques from 13
patients with MS, 46samples from 13 patients
with non-MS neurologic disorders,and 41 samples from12 healthy control brains.Of the 44 NAWMsamples, 7 (15.9%) werepositive for HHV-6 DNAsequences, versus 37 (57.8%)of 64 MS plaques(P < .0005). HHV-6DNA was detected in10 (21.7%) of 46samples from patients withnon-MS neurologic disorders andin 11 (26.8%) of41 samples from patientswithout known neurologic
disease.Although the frequency ofHHV-6 DNA
did notdiffer significantly by sampletype,
HHV-6 DNA wassignificantly more common inMS
plaques, suggesting thatHHV-6 may play arole
in MS pathogenesis.
Presentedin part: 4th International
Conference on Herpesviruses 6,7, and 8, Paris,1012 May
2001 (abstractO22).
Informed consent was obtainedfrom patients or their
parents/guardians, and human experimentationguidelines of the USDepartment of Health andHuman Services were followed.
Financialsupport: Fondazione Cassa diRisparmio di
Carpi (toC.C.). a Present affiliation:
Department ofNeurology, University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia.
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