ABSTRACT
Clinical exacerbations of multiple sclerosis (MS) are characterized by elevated levels of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) myelin basic protein (MBP). The purposes of this study were to determine whether anti-MBP antibodies are present in increased titer in CSF of MS patients with exacerbations, and whether they can be suppressed by the administration of immunosuppressive dosages of methylprednisolone (MP). A solid phase radio-immunoassay (RIA) was used to detect free and total anti-MBP antibodies before and after acid hydrolysis of CSF. In MS exacerbations, the majority of elevated anti-MBP is in the free form. With the exception of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) and some cases of post infectious encephalomyelitis, anti-MBP antibodies are not present in either MS patients in remission or in non-MS controls. Anti-MBP levels remained elevated over a 10 day period when patients are managed by bed rest only or when treated with intravenous (IV) ACTH. IV administration of MP in "high" (160 mg/day) or "mega" (2 g/day) dosages produces a highly significant reduction of both MBP (p less than 0.01) and anti-MBP (p less than 0.001) levels. Total intrathecal IgG synthesis is also significantly suppressed by IV-MP but not by ACTH.
Subject(s)
Antibodies/cerebrospinal fluid , Immunoglobulin G/cerebrospinal fluid , Methylprednisolone/therapeutic use , Multiple Sclerosis/cerebrospinal fluid , Myelin Basic Protein/cerebrospinal fluid , Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/therapeutic use , Humans , Methylprednisolone/administration & dosage , Multiple Sclerosis/immunology , Multiple Sclerosis/physiopathology , Myelin Basic Protein/immunology , RadioimmunoassayABSTRACT
One hundred and fifteen isolates of herpes simplex virus were recovered from parallel explant cultures of trigeminal and vagus ganglia and trigeminal nerve roots derived from 20 unselected human cadavers. Restriction enzyme patterns of strains recovered from 18 of 20 individuals could be differentiated from individual to individual, although all isolates from a single host were identical. Isolates from two individuals differed among themselves in the number and location of certain restriction enzyme sites.
Subject(s)
Ganglia/microbiology , Simplexvirus/isolation & purification , Trigeminal Nerve/microbiology , Vagus Nerve/microbiology , Base Sequence , Cloning, Molecular , DNA Restriction Enzymes , DNA, Viral/isolation & purification , Genes, Viral , Humans , Simplexvirus/classification , Simplexvirus/genetics , Species SpecificityABSTRACT
The continuous presence of acyclovir prevented the in vitro reactivation of latent herpes simplex virus from cultures of human trigeminal ganglia derived from 23 randomly selected cadavers. When acyclovir was withdrawn after 30 days, herpes simplex virus was recovered from 3 of 18 cases. Herpes simplex virus was recovered in 9 of 20 (45%) control cases.
Subject(s)
Acyclovir/pharmacology , Simplexvirus/drug effects , Trigeminal Ganglion/microbiology , Trigeminal Nerve/microbiology , Humans , In Vitro Techniques , Simplexvirus/growth & development , Virus Activation/drug effectsABSTRACT
The rate of recovery of herpes simplex virus (HSV) from human trigeminal ganglia explant monolayers is affected by two factors: (1) time elapsed from the death of an individual to the establishment of in vitro culture of ganglia and (2) surface area onto which ganglia are explanted. Spontaneous reactivation of HSV from human trigeminal ganglia can be maximized when ganglia are obtained within 12 h of death and explanted into surface area of 250 cm2. Viruses isolated by explantation of human trigeminal ganglia were found to be uniformly HSV type 1 by restriction enzyme analysis.